Kevin Porter Jr.’s time with the Milwaukee Bucks ended Monday, when the team waived him as it trimmed the roster to 15 standard contracts.
Porter had been included in trade chatter before the move, but Milwaukee never found a market for him. The Bucks were clearly looking to move on, and with no deal materializing, he became the odd man out.
The decision echoes what happened with former Bucks guard Cam Thomas, who found himself in a similar spot. Thomas put up solid numbers, but the article notes that the NBA is drifting away from the heliocentric style of offense built around players who are not elite enough to carry that load. Like Porter, Thomas produced on the scoring end but did not bring enough value on defense to balance it out.
Porter averaged 17.4 points, 7.4 assists, and 5.2 rebounds in 38 games last season. Thomas appeared in 18 games for Milwaukee last season and averaged 10.7 points.
On the surface, both look like productive guards. The problem is what they were giving up on the other end, leaving their overall impact as a net negative.
There is no doubt Porter can get buckets, but the style only really works when a player is operating at the level of Luka Doncic. Porter is not there, and Milwaukee’s choice to pivot toward younger guards it is more invested in makes sense. That move opens the door for those players to get their shots without another ball-dominant guard competing for touches.
Thomas was brought in after being waived by the Brooklyn Nets to add scoring off the bench. He flashed quickly, scoring 34 points in his second game with the team and showing encouraging signs early on.
But once that production faded, so did his influence on games. Since being waived in March, Thomas remains a free agent.
The backcourt picture in Milwaukee had been the big preseason question, especially with the roster crunch looming. Ryan Rollins and Tyler Herro are now set as the starting backcourt, while Taylor Jenkins kept testing different rotation looks.
Rookie Brayden Burries appears to have already won the lead guard role off the bench, with Kasparas Jakuconis lined up as the backup point guard. Gary Trent Jr.’s contract remains extremely difficult to move, and Porter seems to have been the first casualty of that situation.
AJ Green and Caris LeVert are still on the roster, though LeVert barely played in preseason. He arrived in a deal with the Detroit Pistons that allowed them to clear salary, while Milwaukee also picked up draft capital. Because of that, it seems very unlikely he finishes the season with the team.
Herro is the closest thing to Porter or Thomas stylistically, but he offers much more and does it with far better efficiency. The rest of the backcourt gives Milwaukee a mix of players who can handle different jobs while also bringing specific strengths.
For Porter, the lesson is the same one Thomas already learned: in a league that keeps valuing depth more and more, scoring alone is not enough if the other side of the floor does not hold up. Milwaukee is moving toward its younger group, and that direction left Porter on the outside looking in.
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