Ranking the Roster: Bobby Portis gets on the list at 5th

Bobby Portis was the Bucks’ biggest re-signing priority this offseason. The front office took it down to the wire, but before the player-option deadline, Portis signed a three-year deal worth $43.5m, with the last year being a player option. Now that Portis is back in hunter green, he comes in at fifth on the roster ranking, a one-spot improvement from last year. Funnily enough, Bobby has finished fifth in five of his six seasons in the Cream City.

2024-25 was a trying season for Big Bob, both on and off the court. Back in November of ‘24, his home was burglarized. Then, at the end of January, his grandmother passed away, someone he valued dearly. Finally, to top it all off, he was suspended 25 games after the All-Star break for taking the wrong painkiller, which reportedly happened by complete accident. Portis was having one of his better seasons and seemed on track for another top-three Sixth Man of the Year finish, averaging 13.7 PPG, 8.3 RPG, and 2.2 APG.

Fans know the type of player Portis is at this stage of his career: an offensive force off the bench who can be very frustrating on the other end. He can have games where he scores 34 points on 14/21 shooting, grabs 10 rebounds, and dishes out eight assists. Yet there are other nights where he goes for four points on 1/8 shooting, chucking shots that he shouldn’t be chucking. Although more often than not, he ends up being a net positive for the Bucks, as evidenced by his +3.4 net rating, which was fifth on the team last year. Portis isn’t much of a defender, never averaging one block or steal per game in his career. He does, however, offer some switchability on that end, as we saw in the playoffs against the Pacers. That said, there’s a reason the Bucks doggedly pursued Myles Turner to be the team’s new starting center; Portis’ skill set best fits this team as a backup, and it always has.

With a clearly defined role as the sixth man and a new contract, a lot has already been settled for BP. With all of that in mind, where do you think he ends up factoring in to the Bucks’ rotation come playoff time?

There are now just four players left to vote on for the Bucks, so make sure to cast your ballot before tomorrow at 9 a.m. CDT!