Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis has been a surprise rumored target of the Golden State Warriors in recent years, with a potential Giannis Antetokounmpo trade finally giving the franchise a chance at acquiring one of the best sixth men in the NBA.
Portis has already been in trade reports for a fair period anyway, but Antetokounmpo's departure is likely to signal the end for a number of other veteran players in Milwaukee -- including the 6'9" forward.
Warriors could acquire Bobby Portis in Giannis Antetokounmpo trade
Reporting on Golden State's pursuit of Antetokounmpo on Thursday, ESPN's Anthony Slater outlined how the franchise could take back one of Portis or Kyle Kuzma in a trade that would likely send out Jimmy Butler and Jonathan Kuminga.
"To help salary match, the Warriors could also absorb one of Milwaukee's other veterans owed long-term money, such as Bobby Portis (three years, $43.5 million remaining) or Kyle Kuzma (two years, $42.7 million remaining)," Slater wrote.
As much as Portis has been one of the best bench guys in the league for a number of years, his presence as a target for the Warriors has always felt slightly underwhelming. Even prior to free agency in June, NBA insider Jake Fischer noted that Golden State could have interest in Portis owing to Steve Kerr being a fan from their time together at Team USA basketball.
While he was/is never going to be a huge needle mover for Golden State, now that this Antetokounmpo pursuit is heating up before next week's deadline, it could also give them an opportunity to realize their Portis ambition.
The 30-year-old finished third in Sixth Man of the Year in 2023 and 2024, with his production having been incredibly consistent over the past five or six seasons. Portis is averaging 13.2 points and 6.6 rebounds in 24 minutes per game with the Bucks this season, shooting a highly efficient 48.7% from the floor and 45.8% from 3-point range on over four attempts.
That's just the kind of shooting numbers the Warriors could do with in their front court, but the issue with Portis has always come on the other end. Perhaps some of his defensive deficiencies could be hidden within the Golden State system, particularly playing next to fellow veterans like Draymond Green and Al Horford.
Rounding out a viable rotation alongside Antetokounmpo and Stephen Curry is going to be critical if the Warriors can pull off a trade, with Portis a proven bench contributor with notable playoff experience.