Bobby Portis became an immediate fan favorite in Milwaukee during the Bucks championship season, and cemented his status as a beloved figure with the franchise when he took a two-year deal worth just over $8 million to come back last summer.
That deal was a precursor to this summer when the Bucks could go over the cap to retain him using his early Bird rights, as Portis opted out of his player option for next season and quickly agreed to return to Milwaukee on a 4-year, $49 million contract when free agency opened.
Free agent F Bobby Portis is returning to the Milwaukee Bucks on a 4-year, $49M contract, his agent Mark Bartelstein of @PrioritySports tells ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022
Free agent Bobby Portis has agreed to a four-year, $49 million deal to return to the Milwaukee Bucks, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Deal includes a player option in Year 4.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022
This was always the expectation for the Bucks, and they’ve now accomplished their top priority on their free agency check list. Portis averaged 14.6 points and 9.1 rebounds per game last season, taking on a much larger role with Brook Lopez hurt most of the year, and maintained strong efficiency in an expanded role, with a 47.9/39.3/75.2 shooting split in the 2021-22 season. The Bucks figure to mostly run things back, with some minor shifts via minimum deals, but it’s hard to blame them given their success the past two seasons — and how close they were to beating the Celtics even without Khris Middleton.
Portis returning was the first step and now he is handsomely rewarded for his loyalty and performance the past two seasons.