Rumor has it the Sacramento Kings are looking for another ball-handler on a discount, and the Milwaukee Bucks might have the solution in the form of Kevin Porter Jr. The 26-year-old Seattle native has blossomed into a two-way force in Milwaukee after struggling to find his place in the league in his early years, but the Bucks are in a roster crunch, and Sacramento needs help on the perimeter now that Ben Simmons is out for the year with a torn Achilles tendon.
This isn't simply pontification, either. NBA Insider Jake Fischer of The Stein Line reported on Monday that the Kings are not only looking for reinforcements for their guard rotation, but that the Kings called Milwaukee about Porter's availability.
Porter's 2025-26 season was hampered by injuries, but when he played, he was arguably the most effective version of himself yet, averaging 17.4 points, 7.4 assists, 5.2 rebounds, and a league-leading 2.2 steals per game. While he was far from the most efficient guard, Porter's underlying talent oftentimes won out and was the deciding factor in several wins at a time when those came few and far between for this Bucks squad.
It only makes sense for the Kings to be interested in a young, seemingly available two-way guard like Porter, but the real question lies in how the Bucks view him at this juncture.
The Milwaukee Bucks should only be willing to part with Kevin Porter Jr. in a Kings trade if the price is right.
It took a lot of time and investment for the Bucks and Porter Jr. to get to this point. Although they didn't spend a lot in terms of draft capital or even dollars to trade for and retain him, the Bucks invested greatly in his development by handing him the reins for the last two and a half years, and he's become a far better player because of it. So would they be so willing to hand away the fruits of their and his labor in a trade?
The list of pros is noteworthy: He's owed a new contract next season, there are still some questions about his maturity, and whether his game can translate to a winning context. Porter is also a ball-dominant player for a team that has an infatuating guard prospect in Brayden Burries and three incoming ball-handlers in Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez, and Kasparas Jakučionis entering the lineup. Not to mention, the results have been mixed with him and Ryan Rollins on the floor together.
On the flip side, however, Porter has proven that he's all in on the Bucks, and that might be hard to find at this juncture of the franchise's trajectory. He's also an enticing two-way force on the court with a deep bag of scoring skills that aren't easily acquired or even developed.
So if the Kings are willing to part with an interesting prospect or some serious draft capital, it's probably worth considering. But if not, and the Bucks are simply trying to cut down their roster, there are some other options to look at before handing away one of their most successful developmental projects of the post-title-run era of Bucks basketball.
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