NBA Rumors: Teams "Pessimistic" About Luring Bobby Portis

When Bobby Portis took a team-friendly deal to re-sign with the Milwaukee Bucks after their championship season, it came with a $4.56M player-option for 2022-23. Essentially, Portis was betting on himself. Now, he's in line for a big payday this offseason, if he declines his option and becomes a free agent. Some executives feel he could be in line for a $12-$13M/year contract on the open market. 

Nevertheless, according to NBA Insider Marc Stein, some teams are extremely pessimistic about being able to lure Portis out of Milwaukee. He showed a lot of loyalty signing that 2-year deal with them last year, and the feeling is that even if he opts out, he'll give the Bucks more than a fair shake at re-signing him. 

Because the Bucks own his Early Bird Rights, Stein says that the thought around the league is that Portis will opt-out, then sign a multiyear deal with Milwaukee that could be in the $11M a year range, keeping him where he wants to be, without giving too much of a discount. 

Portis had a career year with the Bucks in what was his 7th season in the NBA, establishing new highs in points (14.6), rebounds (9.1), and minutes (28.2). 

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