30-Year-Old Power Forward Signs New Contract with Bucks

Bobby Portis has traditionally been a reserved power forward throughout his NBA career. The former Arkansas Razorback has become a beloved piece of the bench for the Milwaukee Bucks throughout his time there. Portis was a part of the Bucks’ championship-winning team in 2021, but since then, the Bucks have not been able to replicate that same playoff success. Portis himself believes that he can do more than what he is doing and is eager to prove himself. Now, it has been reported that Portis has signed a new three-year, $44 million deal with the Bucks. The 11-year NBA veteran averaged 13 points, eight rebounds, and two assists, shooting 46 percent from the floor last season.

Portis' career started with the Chicago Bulls, who selected him with the 22nd pick in the 2015 NBA Draft after an impressive sophomore season at Arkansas that saw him earn the SEC Player of the Year award. Portis played for the Bulls for four seasons, where he rotated in and out of the G-League, but ultimately was extended heading into the 2017-18 season. He became a double-double machine for the Bulls and became more of an outside scorer rather than just relying on scoring in the paint. Portis was a part of the Otto Porter trade with the Wizards in 2019. In D.C., his only highlight was scoring 30 points off the bench against the Cavaliers. Portis became a free agent for the first time in his career after the 2019 season and signed with the New York Knicks.

Portis did not stick around long in New York either, as the team did not exercise their player option on him, making him a free agent in 2020. He signed with the Bucks in 2020, and since then, his career has thrived since then and he has become a popular figure on the team and in the city. In his first season with the Bucks, Portis finished with the third-highest three-point percentage in the NBA that season, 47 percent. During the run to the 2021 NBA Finals, Portis played a huge role in helping the Bucks during the Eastern Conference Finals when he replaced an injured Giannis Antetokounmpo and helped the Bucks defeat the Hawks in six games to advance to the NBA Finals. After winning the Finals, Portis re-signed with the Bucks on a two-year deal worth nine million dollars with a player option in the second year, which he chose to exercise. Portis continued to be a top scorer for the Bucks off the bench and one of the top six men in the NBA during those two years. After that contract was up in 2023, he was rewarded when he signed a four-year deal worth $49 million at the start of NBA Free Agency. Portis has stuck with the Bucks through tough starts to the season and early playoff exits. He was also suspended in February 2025 for 25 games after accidentally taking a banned substance, Tramadol. Portis came back near the end of the regular season; however, the Bucks were eliminated by the Pacers in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. Now, heading into his twelfth year in the NBA, Portis feels he could do more than just come off the bench and be a sixth man. After five years with the Bucks, Portis has decided to remain with the Bucks. The Bucks hope that Portis can continue his recent trend of good play in Milwaukee.