Kevin Porter Jr. has already been through several chapters of his NBA career. One way or another, he’s about to enter another with the Milwaukee Bucks.
He began as the 30th overall pick with the Cleveland Cavaliers and relatively modest expectations. However, he showed enough promise as a rookie for the Houston Rockets to trade a second-round pick for him after his first season.
Porter took advantage of that opportunity, starting 143 games for Houston over the next three years. He proved he could handle lead-guard responsibilities while averaging 17.2 points per game during his time there.
Then came his legal troubles, which cost him the entire 2023-24 season. He was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder, who quickly released him after the deal was completed.
It wasn’t until a year later, in 2024, that he found his way back into the NBA, this time with the Los Angeles Clippers taking a flyer on him.
After struggling during the first half of the season, Los Angeles traded him to Milwaukee at the deadline. Porter responded with an encouraging stretch, averaging 11.7 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.7 assists across 30 games with the Bucks.
That left Milwaukee feeling good enough about his fit to sign him to a two-year, $10.5 million contract in the summer of 2025. Porter rewarded that confidence last season, averaging 17.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 7.4 assists despite appearing in only 38 games.
Now, he enters the second and final year of that deal with unrestricted free agency waiting next summer.
With plenty at stake, here is one realistic and one ambitious goal for Porter in 2026-27.
Realistic goal: Average 15 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists per game
Milwaukee has more mouths to feed this season than it did for much of last year, especially when factoring in the injuries that opened the door for Porter to take on a larger role.
The Bucks also have younger guards whose development they should prioritize with on-ball opportunities, particularly Ryan Rollins and Brayden Burries.
That could leave Porter playing off the ball more often than he has during his Milwaukee tenure.
Still, he remains the most established guard on the roster not named Tyler Herro. Even with a reduced role, Porter should have enough opportunities to create offense for himself and others.
Averaging 15 points, five rebounds and five assists would represent a small step back from last season statistically, but it would still make him one of Milwaukee’s most productive guards.
More importantly, doing so in a more crowded backcourt would show that Porter can remain effective without needing the offense to revolve around him.
Ambitious goal: Earn a multi-year contract
The Bucks will eventually have to sort through their logjam at guard.
Rollins, Burries and Herro all need the ball in their hands, and Milwaukee probably won’t be able to keep every guard on the roster in a significant role long term.
That could put Porter’s future with the team in question before the trade deadline.
Notice, though, that the goal isn’t necessarily for Porter to earn a multi-year extension from Milwaukee.
His objective should simply be to play well enough that someone wants to make a meaningful investment in him.
If he can stay healthy, produce efficiently and show that last season’s resurgence wasn’t a fluke, Porter could position himself for another multi-year deal either before the deadline or in unrestricted free agency next summer.
Given everything his career has already been through, securing another long-term NBA contract would represent more than a successful season. It would show that Porter has reestablished himself as a dependable player teams are willing to invest in.
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