5 Bucks on Thin Ice After Doc Rivers Hiring
By Cem Yolbulan
Bobby Portis
A fan favorite in Milwaukee, Portis' departure would certainly hurt. He has been consistent and productive in his four years as a Buck after struggling to find a home in the NBA in his first five seasons in the NBA. He continues to be one of the best offensive big men off the bench in the NBA.
However, considering that Giannis Antetokounmpo and Brook Lopez will handle as many minutes as they can in the playoffs, there isn't that big of a role for Portis in the postseason. His salary of $12 million makes him a good trade chip for salary-matching purposes. A more solid defender on the wing would be a better use of resources for that price.
Cameron Payne
The journeyman point guard who signed with the Milwaukee Bucks in the offseason has been playing well as Damian Lillard's backup. He even started in a few games and performed admirably. He is a useful bench guard for a lot of teams around the league.
However, the backcourt rotation of Payne, Lillard, and Malik Beasley is simply too small and defensively challenged. If the Bucks want to improve defensively and be a serious contender, they need to upgrade to better two-way contributors on the perimeter.