Kevin Porter Jr. started his career with the Cleveland Cavaliers, but it did not take long for the franchise to decide to send him packing. Now, Porter faces a situation with the Milwaukee Bucks that could finish in a similar ending for him without a strong 2025-26 NBA season.
For those who remember, Porter was ousted from the Cavaliers in 2021 after a reported screaming match with team officials. Koby Altman put out a very telling statement at the time.
Altman said, "After careful and thoughtful evaluation, we made the very difficult and collective decision to make this trade. Given the culture and environment we have worked to cultivate here in Cleveland, we feel this move is in everyone's best interest."
Character issues followed Porter throughout his NBA career. An off-court scandal with his second team resulted in the Houston Rockets trading him to the Oklahoma City Thunder, who then promptly released him.
After spending time overseas, the Los Angeles Clippers gave him another chance in the NBA. The Bucks then made him a pivotal part of their rotation after acquiring him via trade. With the lights as bright as ever in Milwaukee, Porter will need to be his best to not wash out of the league once more.
Spotlight season in Milwaukee demands Kevin Porter Jr. to deliver
It should not take a rocket scientist to figure out why this season is so important for the Bucks. Everyone has been crying for Giannis Antetokounmpo to leave Milwaukee since the team got bounced in the first round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs.
Antetokounmpo, for his part, has reassured reporters inquiring about his future in his belief about the Bucks being in a good spot. The superstar forward likes his chances in 2025-26.
Giannis told ESPN, "I think it's a great team. It's a sleeper, and a lot of people might not take it serious, but I think we are a very, very dangerous team."
The rest of the NBA world? They're not as convinced.
The supporting cast of Antetokounmpo has been compared to several of the worst iterations of Cavaliers teams that LeBron James had to suffer through during his two runs with the franchise. The most obvious of those has been to the situation in 2017-18.
For his part, Porter wanted to rewrite that narrative in the season debut against the Washington Wizards. Starting as the point guard, the former Cavalier dropped 10 points and added two assists in nine minutes before suffering a left ankle sprain.
Medical Update: Kevin Porter Jr. underwent an MRI this morning and was evaluated by Bucks team orthopedic surgeon Dr. Carole Vetter, who confirmed the initial diagnosis of a left ankle sprain.
KPJ will not play in the upcoming road trip to Toronto (10/24) and Cleveland (10/26).… pic.twitter.com/GKbHwsv8j7
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) October 23, 2025
When KPJ is set to return is still unclear. Porter will undoubtedly be looked to as a key figure who needs to provide scoring support for his superstar teammate. If the Bucks guard is incapable of playing that role, how many other teams will still want to risk the potential headache he brings?
An end to this year's Bucks team that mimics the 2018 Cavs would go something along the lines of this: Antetokounmpo leaves Milwaukee and the majority of his supporting cast falls out of the league, one way or another, in due time.
Porter has a player option for the 2026-27 season that one would expect him to pick up. How active the free agent market for him is in 2027 largely depends on what the former first round pick does this season.