Bucks make $44 million contract decision on fan favorite

The first domino of the Milwaukee Bucks’ offseason has fallen.

On Sunday, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that the Bucks agreed to a three-year, $44 million extension with Bobby Portis Jr. Portis had been one of the most intriguing names of this free agent cycle, but it appears that the Bucks will bring him back before he can hit the open market.

Portis has been one of Milwaukee’s staples since arriving in 2020. Over the past five seasons, Portis quickly grew into a fan favorite, particularly for his role off the bench in the team’s run to an NBA championship in 2021.

Last season, Portis averaged 13.9 points and 8.4 rebounds across 49 games for the Bucks. In the middle of the season, Portis had to serve a 25-game suspension for violating the NBA’s anti-drug policy, but he was able to return in time for the team’s playoff run.

While many of the players around Portis have come and gone over his half-decade tenure with the Bucks, he is set to be the frontcourt partner alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo again next season. Of course, Antetokounmpo’s name has come up in trade rumors, despite both sides appearing to be content with the current situation.

The consensus has been that Antetokounmpo has been waiting to see what moves the Bucks make this offseason to fully decide on his future. While it had been widely speculated that Portis might be moving on, his extension could be a great sign for the Bucks.

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Although this move is sure to make Bucks fans happy, it is especially important as the team could lose Brook Lopez in free agency this summer. With the frontcourt in a secure spot moving forward, the Bucks can begin to look at other needs and potentially take another step back toward championship contention.