Forward Bobby Portis Jr. played an underrated role in helping the Bucks win the NBA championship and the Bucks don’t want to let him leave for nothing.
But they will have a little work to do, as Portis is declining his $3.8 million player option and entering free agency, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Milwaukee can offer Portis a deal worth $5.9 million, added ESPN’s Bobby Marks.
And per Eric Nehm of The Athletic, “there is growig optimism within the organization” the Bucks will be able to to convince Portis to return.
Portis, 26, averaged 8.8 points and 5.0 rebounds in the playoffs. This after averages of 11.4 points and 7.1 boards in 66 regular-season games. Basically, he had been a key cog in a Bucks run that few predicted.
All this and he turned down a $15.7 million option to accept the Bucks’ biannual-exception offer of $3.6 million for this season. But he told The Athletic’s Shams Charania that salary wasn’t the only consideration.
“The bubble did it for me. Years before, when my team didn’t make the playoffs, I was able to take my mind off of it,” Portis said. “Going on a trip with my family or traveling or flying here and working out there.
“But last year when my team wasn’t invited to the bubble, I think that’s when I had enough of it because I was at home for f—ing nine months from March to November. No NBA games to play in, just straight working out.”
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