At last year’s trade deadline, the Milwaukee Bucks flipped Marjon Beauchamp to the Clippers for point guard Kevin Porter Jr. A few weeks later, that deal looked like a fleece job, as Porter served as a sparkplug off the bench while Beauchamp continued his future journeyman arc, logging three games in Los Angeles before being waived.
A productive Houston Rocket earlier in his career, Porter averaged 11.7 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.7 assists for the Bucks. He shot 49.4% from the field and 40.8% from distance. With Damian Lillard out of the lineup due to a blood clot, Porter supplied crucial minutes as a facilitator and supplementary scorer.
If he doesn’t pick up his $2.5 million player option this offseason, the Bucks will have to compete for his services with the rest of the league. A problematic legal record, however, may disincline some teams – and possibly the Bucks – from pursuing him.
Kevin Porter Jr., Milwaukee Bucks, Bucks news
Apr 8, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Kevin Porter Jr. (3) dunks the ball against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second half at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images
Milwaukee Bucks Need a Point Guard(s)
Milwaukee is very much in need of guard help for the 2025-26 campaign. Recovering from a torn Achilles, Lillard will probably miss the beginning of the season. Last year, Porter and Ryan Rollins, who is also a free agent, were the only other point guards on the team. Even if the Bucks re-sign Rollins, he is a promising 3-and-D guard more than a floor general.
Shooting guard Gary Trent Jr. will also enter free agency, leaving them bereft of backcourt creators if Porter doesn’t exercise his option.
The Bucks could use Porter’s help, using him off the bench to run the second unit. In all likelihood, he will be available for cheap. Part of the reason, though, is a background that should give potential suitors pause.
A recent guest of the “Locked On Bucks” podcast, NBA insider Matt Moore believes this is an important consideration:
I’m always of the opinion that the NBA needs to take domestic violence seriously, and I think it is always a disservice by us not to mention these things, because if we don’t mention it, then we are complicit in the NBA’s attempts to just, like, sweep this under the rug and be like, ‘Nope, we don’t know what you’re talking about.’
Milwaukee Bucks, Kevin Porter Jr., Bucks news
Feb 23, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Kevin Porter Jr. (3) celebrates after scoring a basket during the fourth quarter against the Miami Heat at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
Porter’s Past Is a Problem
Back in January 2024, regarding an incident several months earlier, Porter pled guilty to assaulting his girlfriend in a hotel. He repaired his criminal record by cooperating with the terms of his plea deal, including enrollment in a domestic abuse treatment program, but he cannot wipe the stain from his personal history.
Just to get rid of him, the Rockets sent the Thunder two second round picks, along with Porter, a month after the incident. OKC waived him upon arrival.
Despite his 2022-23 numbers – over 19 points, five rebounds and five assists per game – he spent all next season out of the league. The following offseason, the Clippers signed him for two years and $4.8 million. Porter’s previous contract for Houston had spanned four years, $63.4 million. At the deadline, Los Angeles then moved him for a far less productive player in Beauchamp.
Milwaukee Bucks, Kevin Porter Jr., Bucks news
Apr 8, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Kevin Porter Jr. (3) and Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) celebrate as the clock winds down in their 110-103 comeback victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images
All of this suggests that Porter will not have an easy time securing the bag this summer. He performed well enough in Milwaukee, however, that someone will probably give him a chance.
“There are teams that will ignore all those kind of issues,” Moore said of Porter’s baggage. “I’ve talked to two scouts this week that said, ‘I thought he was by the end of that playoff run one of [Milwaukee’s] three best players.’ That’s how good he was in what he was bringing to the table. And that’s pretty valuable.”
With limited resources to acquire costly talent, should the Bucks be one of those teams? Is Porter’s past a nonstarter or only a partial, relevant consideration?
If he opts out, that’s something the front office will have to decide before committing to him for a full season.
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