The Sacramento Kings’ search for a point guard has put Milwaukee guard Kevin Porter Jr. on the radar.
Sacramento is trying to replace Ben Simmons after his Achilles tear, and according to Jake Fischer, the Kings have called about Porter Jr. as well as other guards around the NBA. The fit makes some sense on paper: the Kings need more ball-handling, and Porter Jr. has long been the kind of player who can tilt an offense when he has the ball in his hands.
The challenge is efficiency. Porter Jr.’s production last season was real - 17.4 points, 7.4 assists, and 5.2 rebounds per game - but he also shot just 32.2% from 3. His highlights can jump off the screen, yet the full package has not consistently translated into the kind of efficient usage teams usually want from a primary creator.
That usage has been heavy, too. Among players who logged at least 1,000 minutes in the 2025-26 season, Porter Jr. ranked fifth in average seconds per touch, behind only Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Austin Reaves, Jalen Brunson, and James Harden.
Those names are operating in a different tier of offensive responsibility and production, which is part of why Porter Jr.’s role stands out. He can handle a ton, but the results haven’t always matched the load.
For Milwaukee, that matters. The Bucks have packed the roster with young guards, and Porter Jr. looks like the veteran most likely to be moved to make room for the others.
Ryan Rollins and Tyler Herro have been Milwaukee’s starters for most of the preseason, while Brayden Burries got into the Bucks’ final preseason game before Porter Jr. did. Burries has already been asked to take on more ball-handling than many expected at this stage, and the team would like to keep feeding him touches.
Kasparas Jakucionis is in the mix, too. Milwaukee got the 20-year-old sophomore guard from Miami in the Giannis trade, and he was reportedly the last piece the Bucks negotiated to receive from the Heat. He has already shown flashes of dynamic playmaking in the preseason.
Porter Jr. is not the only Milwaukee veteran drawing trade interest. Kyle Kuzma, Caris LeVert, and Jericho Sims are also viewed as logical candidates ahead of Monday afternoon’s roster cutdown deadline. All three are on expiring deals, and none are expected to matter much once the Bucks are back in the playoffs.
Still, Porter Jr. is the one who seems to fit the situation best. If Milwaukee can turn him into something useful from Sacramento, it would clear more room for Herro, Rollins, Burries, and Jakucionis to all be part of the rotation right away.
In Other News...
Bucks Could Lose Kevin Porter Jr. As Sacramento Scrambles
Sacramentos search for backcourt help has suddenly become a story worth watching in Milwaukee, too, after Kings point guard Ben Simmons suffered a torn Achilles and is set to miss the entire season. With a major hole at the position, the Kings are reportedly weighing outside options, and Bucks guard Kevin Porter Jr. has surfaced as one of the names in the mix alongside Memphis guard Walter Clayton.
For the Bucks, the uncertainty is part of the appeal and the concern. Porter Jr. gives Sacramento a more established option to consider, but the Kings decision could come down to roster fit and timing as they sort through a quick response to the injury. No move has been announced yet, leaving Milwaukee to monitor whether one of its guards becomes part of Sacramentos urgent scramble. [Read more 🡒]
Tyrese Haliburtons Fiery Bucks Exchange Looks Even More Personal Now
A preseason foul between Tyrese Haliburton and Ryan Rollins suddenly has a little more edge to it after the Oct. 15 meeting between the Pacers and Bucks, when the two guards were caught in a heated verbal exchange. The moment followed a hard foul, and Haliburton was hit with a technical after he allegedly directed profane language toward Rollins, giving the exchange a bite that stood out even in a game that was still early in the exhibition calendar.
The scene only drew more attention when a lip reader later broke down the interaction on social media, adding another layer to what had already looked like a tense run-in. Haliburton finished with 17 points and six assists, while Rollins posted eight points and five assists, and Milwaukee escaped with a 128-127 overtime win, though neither guard took part in the extra period. [Read more 🡒]
Bucks Backcourt Squeeze Could Finally Open A Door For Jakucionis
A possible Kevin Porter Jr. trade has put Milwaukees backcourt picture back under a microscope, and it could create the kind of opening the Bucks have been waiting to see from Kasparas Jakucionis. The 20-year-old point guard has already flashed enough to keep himself in the conversation, and if the rotation shifts, he would be one of the main candidates to step into the role of backup floor general.
Milwaukees willingness to explore moves around the edges of the roster suggests the guard depth chart is far from settled, especially with Caris LeVert and Jericho Sims also mentioned as being on the trade table. For Jakucionis, that uncertainty is part opportunity and part test, because a clearer path to minutes would also bring a bigger burden to prove he can handle them. [Read more 🡒]