The Milwaukee Bucks got a steal in Bobby Portis and his $5-million salary during the 2017 NBA Draft. The 22 year old will make 10 times as much money, but it was worth every penny for a franchise that is hungry to succeed.
The Milwaukee Bucks got the NBA’s biggest steal in Bobby Portis and his $5 million salary. The team signed Portis to a four-year, $40 million contract with a player option for the fifth year.
Bobby Portis became a Milwaukee Bucks (and Wisconsin) icon after winning the NBA Championship last year. The lead was Giannis Antetkounmpo, and the supporting ensemble included Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday, but Bobby managed to overshadow them all.
He was like the fourth greatest actor in a best picture Oscar winner, but the one who still dominates every scene he appears in, even if he’s exchange lines with Leo or Brad Pitt.
Badass After his Sixth-Man-of-the-Year stint in Milwaukee, Bobby was sure to cash in during free agency. However, the Bucks managed to persuade Portis to continue on at a hefty discount in order to assist the club win another championship.
No one could have guessed who would end up being the free-agent bargain of the 2021-22 season.
The Milwaukee Bucks’ championship season would not have been possible without Bobby Portis.
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Prior to the 2020-21 season, Portis signed a free agency contract with Milwaukee. He was the team’s sixth man for the most of the season, which is an unusual position for a 6-foot-10 big.
But he was as important to the Bucks as Jamal Crawford or Lou Williams had been to their respective clubs.
Despite his regular averages plummeting in the playoffs, Portis became the heart and soul of a championship-winning team, averaging more than 11 points and seven rebounds in 66 games.
Every time Bobby hit the stage, his energy and passion radiated throughout Fiserv Forum. Any huge three, important block, or game-winning pass had Portis yelling and his eyes bulging out at the Milwaukee audience, who always replied in like.
Since 1971, Wisconsin has not won a basketball title. BP assisted with the delivery of one and brought fans along for the voyage. He was dubbed “The Mayor of Milwaukee” because he felt like a true Wisconsinite.
(Really, go to Basketball Reference and check it up.) Bobby gained a moniker like that in one season, something Giannis never did).
This year, though, the mayor has been much harsher on the Bucks.
For less than $5 million, Portis’ output and position with the Bucks has proved to be the NBA’s greatest bargain.
The Milwaukee Bucks’ Bobby Portis reacts after scoring in the first half of their game against the Los Angeles Lakers. | Getty Images/Stacy Revere
Brook Lopez, Milwaukee’s starting center, had a back injury in the season’s opening game. He had surgery and has not returned.
Since joining the Bucks in 2018, Lopez has been a big contributor on both sides of the court. Giannis, Middleton, and Holiday have all missed games, but Brook’s absence may be the most significant for head coach Mike Budenholzer.
Without Lopez, Portis has been forced to play a larger role than anybody thought, even himself.
Bobby has started 49 games in Milwaukee’s frontcourt with Antetokounmpo. As one of the few Bucks mainstays, he’s appeared in 54 games.
He has set career highs in points (15.7), rebounds (9.1), minutes (28.9), and starts. He has shooting splits of 49/41/74 as a stretch big. In minutes, shooting attempts, three-point attempts, and scoring, he is fourth on the reigning champions.
In addition, he leads Milwaukee in three-point percentage. He and Holiday are both shooting 41.4 percent from three-point range coming into a game against the Chicago Bulls on March 4, but Portis has played in more games.
Before the season, the Arkansas product stunned everyone by opting to remain with the Bucks despite a local discount. He may have received a good bag based on his statistics season and contribution on a championship-winning squad.
Instead, he signed a two-year, $9 million contract with Milwaukee, which pays him $4.3 million this season. He has a $4.6 million player option for next year.
Logic dictates that he cash in on this season and take a big contract somewhere before the 2022-23 season. Bobby is definitely influenced by his association with the Bucks franchise and the city (and state).
Regardless, his performance and significance to Milwaukee this season have made his deal the best bargain of the 2021 offseason.
The big guy will be even more important in this year’s championship defense.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8 t SgmN9Yk
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Last season, Portis earned every ounce of his moniker, and he’ll have to live up to it this season.
The Bucks are now fourth in the Eastern Conference, which is dominated by the top teams. They’re 3.5 games behind the Miami Heat, who Milwaukee defeated on March 2nd (with 15 points, seven rebounds, two steals, and two blocks from Bobby in nearly 32 minutes).
Because Lopez’s comeback is still unknown, Portis will continue to start alongside Giannis, and the Mayor of Milwaukee will have to continue to play his greatest basketball of his career if he wants to deliver his adoptive hometown another Larry O’Brien Trophy.
Basketball Reference provided all statistics.
RELATED: If the Milwaukee Bucks want to win a second straight championship, they need Khris Middleton back.
The Milwaukee Bucks got the NBA’s biggest steal in Bobby Portis and his $5 million salary. The 22-year-old has been a key player for the Chicago Bulls this season, averaging 14 points per game. Reference: bobby portis age.
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