If they could, the Milwaukee Bucks probably would've kept everyone on their roster this summer, but league rules prohibit them from carrying more than 15 players and three two-way contracts on the precipice of a new season, and someone had to draw the short end of the stick. That ultimately led the team to waive Kevin Porter Jr. despite reported trade interest coming out of Sacramento.
The 26-year-old combo guard spent two and a half seasons in Milwaukee, including the best all-around season of his young career last year, averaging 17.4 points, 7.4 assists, 5.2 rebounds, and 2.2 steals in 38 games.
Unfortunately for Porter, the Bucks' guard room grew too quickly for him to maintain his starting role between Ryan Rollins' emergence, rookie Brayden Burries' impressive offseason, and the three new ball-handlers entering the fray from the Giannis trade in Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez, and Kasparas Jakučionis.
For a segment of Bucks fans, it'll be sad to see Porter go after sustained growth within his role and a real commitment to the culture Milwaukee aspires to. For others, it's the culmination of something they called for long before Porter accepted his $5.4 million player option this summer. Regardless of how you feel personally, there's something important to glean about Milwaukee's direction from its decision to part ways with Porter before the start of the season.
By waiving Kevin Porter Jr., the Bucks sent a strong message about their belief in Milwaukee's young guard rotation.
This decision was less an indictment of Porter Jr. and more a commitment to the rising trio of Rollins, Burries, and Jakučionis. Now entering his age-24 season, Ryan Rollins has the latitude to assert himself as the Bucks' starting point guard of the future. Entering the second year of a three-year deal, with a player option for next season, Rollins has the freedom of knowing that he will no longer be competing with Porter for touches while building toward the first significant payday of his NBA career.
Although Porter's counting stats jumped off the box score, Rollins' volume, efficiency, and ability to rise in the clutch have surpassed Porter since the start of the 2025-26 season. Rollins' on/off differential was nearly seven points per 100 possessions better than Porter's last year, and the defensive metrics showed that Rollins was a more well-rounded, reliable defensive player all year long.
As for Burries, there's a growing belief that he's the real future of the Bucks' franchise, and Porter would've taken valuable learning reps away from him this year had Milwaukee's front office not made this difficult choice. Burries averaged 14 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.5 steals in only 23 minutes per game in preseason, and was just named the steal of the 2026 NBA Draft in the annual GM Survey. They'd be doing a disservice to the fans and themselves if the Bucks' front office group didn't free up a role for Burries in his rookie season.
A similar argument could be made for Jakučionis, who, at just 20 years old, shot higher than 42% from three-point range as a physically gifted guard prospect coming off the bench for the Heat. If the belief is that Jakučionis can replicate Porter's success without as much of the ball dominance in only his second year, it's only right for them to see what he's capable of in this invaluable transition year.
Kevin Porter Jr. got the short end of the stick here, but he'd be battling for minutes that he probably felt he'd already earned all season long. The Bucks got out ahead of what could've been a difficult situation and made a call that probably wasn't easy for them.
It's hard to imagine Porter not finding another role in the NBA very soon, and when he does, he'll probably be invigorated to prove the Bucks wrong. Whether or not he's right in that assessment will take years to truly find out, but based on the new-look guard rotation they've established, they're in a position for a successful revamp regardless of where Porter goes from here.
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