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Bobby Portis rejuvenated himself after signing with the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2020 NBA Offseason. His decision to decline more money upfront and complete his desire to play for a winning team played dividends, as he ended up becoming an NBA Champion this season.
Portis signed a two-year $7.4 million deal with the 2021 NBA champions, with the second season being a player option. He averaged 11.4 points and 7.1 rebounds per game, playing as one of their leading reserves. The former New York Knicks' big-man shot a career-high 47.1% from beyond the arc, which has caught the eye of many possible suitors.
It's one thing to deliver during the regular season and another to carry that over to the NBA Playoffs. Bobby Portis managed to convert his showing in the postseason and was crucial in the Bucks winning their first title in 50 years.
He also became a fan-favorite for the Milwaukee Bucks due to the infectious energy he played with for the side and has been more than happy to give his 100% to the team he believed would go the distance with him on the squad.
Bobby Portis has mentioned ample amount of times that he has loved playing for the Bucks from an individual perspective. However, with the Bucks strangled for cap space and Portis' market value seeing a significant rise, it will be complicated for them to re-sign the power forward this offseason.
Milwaukee doesn't have his bird rights either, which means they can't offer him more than the $5.9 million taxpayer mid-level exception. On the latest edition of the HoopsHype podcast, Michael Scotto Yossi Gozlan mentioned that Bobby Portis could be offered around $9.5 million mid-level exception or even higher. It would be a better proposition for Portis from an individual perspective and one that hints that he could be leaving the Milwaukee Bucks this offseason.
If that does happen, there should be a decent market for Bobby Portis in free agency. We list three teams that should look to pursue him this offseason.
#3 San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are one of the few teams with a huge amount of cap space available heading into the offseason. With the likes of DeMar DeRozan, Rudy Gay and Patty Mills all likely to leave, the Spurs have about $48 million available to spend in free agency.
The departure of DeRozan and Gay will leave them with a lack of depth in the frontcourt. The former played in the power forward position for the majority of the 2020-21 NBA campaign, making signing power forwards one of their top priorities this offseason.
Bobby Portis would be a great fit for the team's timeline as he is only 26 years old. He can either don a starting or a bench role depending on whether they can bring in a better starting-caliber player like John Collins in free agency. Portis ranked third in three-point shooting percentages in the 2020-21 NBA season, making 47.1% of his shots from beyond the arc.
Bobby Portis can also help the team with his rebounding and provide them with much-needed size. The Spurs ranked 18th in the league in rebounding (per game) and last in three-point shooting, making only 9.8 threes per game.
#2 New York Knicks
The New York Knicks could be looking at a reunion with Bobby Portis as they could be an enticing landing spot for him, considering they made the playoffs in the 2020-21 NBA campaign. They have $51 million available in cap space and will have no problem outbidding other potential suitors interested in Portis' services.
The Knicks do not have a reliable rotation player to play at the 4, someone who could continue to help them dominate the game when Julius Randle takes a breather. They also have center Nerlens Noel and veteran forward Taj Gibson hitting free agency this summer. Obi Toppin is still developing and is still far from being a reliable option to play in rotation with Randle and Robinson.
Bobby Portis could play the same role as he did with the Milwaukee Bucks, coming off the bench to play Giannis Antetokounmpo or Brook Lopez's rotation minutes while also providing floor spacing and efficient defense.
The Bucks also deployed a super-sized lineup at times, with Giannis, Lopez and Portis all on the floor at the same time. The Knicks could do that with Randle, Robinson/Noel, or Portis if he ends up signing for them.
#1 Miami Heat
The Miami Heat are looking to add more front-court depth and size to their lineup for next season. The Heat also need players that can help them rebound the ball better and make them a better 3-point shooting side. Bobby Portis fits the bill here. He won't drastically make them a better team on those fronts but will provide significant upgrades.
Miami will likely see Trevor Ariza, Nemanja Bjelica and Dwayne Dedmond depart in free agency, which leaves them with very limited frontcourt options to go with this offseason. Bobby Portis can play rotation minutes for either Jimmy Butler or Bam Adebayo or probably even start as a stretch 4 for them if they opt to trust him based on his showings from the 2020-21 NBA season.
Either way, Bobby Portis will have a more prominent role in the Miami Heat than the one he had with the Milwaukee Bucks, which is an intriguing option for him to consider.
Guess the Lakers players!
