Bobby Portis has been a revelation during his time playing for the Milwaukee Bucks. As it stands, the former Chicago Bulls rookie and one of the league’s best reserve players is projected to earn a bigger bag during the offseason.
Portis first entered the NBA as the Chicago Bulls’ 22nd pick in the 2015 Draft. After a scuffle with Nikola Mirotic and a failure to make his mark in Windy City, the 6’10” forward/center played for the Washington Wizards and New York Knicks before signing with Milwaukee as a free agent.
In his first campaign with the Bucks during the 2020-21 season, Portis immediately made his presence felt by coming off the bench and putting up averages of 11.4 points on 52 percent shooting from the field, 7.1 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game.
Just recently, Portis proved his worth when both Antetokounmpo and Lillard were unavailable due to injuries. Alongside All-Star forward Khris Middleton, Portis stepped up to the plate and provided a reliable source of offense and defense for Milwaukee in their series against Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers.
Portis has two more years in his contract with a player option for the 2025-26 season. With the way he performed in the playoffs, there’s a pretty good chance the big man is going to end up with a different contract soon.
Milwaukee Bucks’ Bobby Portis Projected To Sign a Bigger Contract Next Season
As it stands, Portis is the extension candidate Milwaukee has to keep an eye on. In an article by Bobby Marks for ESPN, the Bucks will have to work on a new deal to keep his talents within the team:
“Bobby Portis has outplayed the four-year, $48.6 million contract he signed in 2022. The forward finished third in Sixth Man of the Year voting and ranked second in total points off the bench this season. His $12.5 million salary next season is below the non-taxpayer midlevel exception and average player salary.
For the second time in his career, Portis shot better than 50% from the field and 40% on 3-pointers. He is eligible to sign a four-year, $78.9 million extension this offseason. The total value of the extension is greater than his career earnings to date. The $17.6 million first-year salary would replace his existing $13.4 million team option in 2025-26,” Marks wrote.
As compared to his stints in Chicago, Washington, and New York, Portis is definitely playing better with the Bucks. If given the chance, the big man can do even more with more minutes and a bigger contract motivating him.
It’s not yet known whether Milwaukee will sign the big man to a new deal or package him with other assets in a trade. In any case, Portis’ improvement this season should be a key factor for the Bucks to keep him in the years ahead.
For More Wisconsin Sports:
Follow us on Twitter at @WiSportsHeroics. Also, check out our Merchandise Here! Get 20% off with the code “WSH.” To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in ALL of Wisconsin sports, click here! Green Bay Packers, Milwaukee Brewers, Milwaukee Bucks, Wisconsin Badgers.
