One thing was guaranteed as the Milwaukee Bucks sorted through their roster during training camp and preseason: at least one of these players wasn't going to be on the team by the time the regular season began, and after careful consideration, that just so happened to fall upon combo guard Kevin Porter Jr.
Now six games into their 2026-27 campaign, it's hard to deny that Porter possessed some of what's been missing from this Bucks squad — a dynamic playmaker on both sides of the floor who could pressure a defense and create open shots for others, while pestering opponents on the other end.
Milwaukee currently ranks 20th in assists per game (26) and last in steals per game (5.7), the two categories Porter Jr. led the Bucks in a season ago. In fact, no Bucks player is averaging as many assists (7.4) or steals (2.2) per game as KPJ did last year. It makes sense why the Bucks decided Porter was the odd man out in their guard rotation when they decided to build for a new era, but that doesn't mean he wasn't valuable to this team in his own way.
The Milwaukee Bucks are struggling to replicate the positive traits that Kevin Porter Jr. brought to their style of play.
The reasoning behind why they parted with Porter Jr. made sense when they waived him, and it stands to reason now: moving on from him created valuable on-ball opportunities for the Bucks' young guards, who need those to become the players Milwaukee's front office believes they can be. If Porter were still on the team, the likelihood of Kasparas Jakučionis handling the ball, or Brayden Burries getting on the court at all, would greatly diminish, and that's worth the cost.
Even so, it's hard to deny that Porter's specific skill set would be valuable for the Bucks during these dog days of the early season. Milwaukee is working toward an identity, but it hasn't quite figured out how to translate that into success on the court right now. Some of the things they need now, like forcing turnovers or having someone to orchestrate the offense, are what head coach Taylor Jenkins is hoping his young guards can replicate now.
Porter had his flaws as well, like taking off plays on defense from time to time, taking contested jump shots, or getting overexcited and turning the ball over. Nonetheless, Milwaukee's front office had been through some of those growing pains with Porter already and decided it was time for someone else to experience them for themselves.
It's already paying off for Burries, who already has the savvy and confidence of a veteran. We haven't quite gotten to see that for Jakučionis or even Ryan Rollins, both of whom have struggled from the field and with the ball in their hands, despite flashes of excellent potential. The hope is that in time, they'll not only be able to replicate the success Porter had when the Bucks entrusted him with their point guard position, but will far exceed what they ever expected from any of these guards at this early stage of their development.
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