The Milwaukee Bucks reportedly explored the idea of acquiring Jonathan Kuminga this offseason, but one name was immediately off the table: Bobby Portis.
According to NBA insider Brett Siegel, the Golden State Warriors were open to a sign-and-trade involving Kuminga, but made it clear they wanted Portis in return. That was a dealbreaker for the Bucks, who declined to move their veteran forward despite their interest in Kuminga’s upside.
“It is also worth mentioning that the Milwaukee Bucks were another team that kicked around the idea of pursuing Kuminga,” wrote Siegel. “If they were to do so, the Warriors made it known they would want Bobby Portis in a sign-and-trade scenario, which is something Milwaukee wasn’t willing to do.”
The Jonathan Kuminga saga has been one of the summer’s biggest stories. The 22-year-old swingman, drafted 7th overall in 2021, became a staple of the Warriors’ rotation after winning the championship in 2022. Slowly but surely, he carved out a place on the team and settled into a frequent scoring rhythm with averages of 16.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game in his best season.
Things took a different turn in the 2024-25 campaign, when Kuminga’s youth and inexperience finally caught up with him. With the Warriors on a win-now timeline, Kuminga’s mistakes were punished harshly, and his role became inconsistent.
It’s all built up to Kuminga’s restricted free agency this summer. With both sides far apart on a deal, and Kuminga coming off a rough stretch in Golden State, he’s grown resentful toward the franchise after months of stalled negotiations and is looking for any way to escape.
On paper, at least, the Milwaukee Bucks would have made an ideal landing spot for Kuminga. He would get to play alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo on a championship-level team with a bigger role and more freedom to play his game. Unfortunately for Kuminga, the Bucks were unwilling to part with their backup big man, Bobby Portis.
With the arrival of Myles Turner in the frontcourt, Portis will be coming off the bench for the Bucks, but it doesn’t make his impact any less important. As a 6’10” big man who can do a little of everything, Portis brings a spark to the Bucks, and he played his role to perfection last season with averages of 13.9 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game.
As the Bucks attempt to make another championship run (2021 NBA champions), they will be leaning on guys like Portis (and Kyle Kuzma) to help fill in the gaps and make up for the departure of Damian Lillard.
Of course, that means the Warriors will have to find some other way to solve the Kuminga dilemma. They were clearly interested in Portis, which means they’re willing to trade Kuminga for a high-quality big man. Sadly, for them, the pool of available centers is limited right now.
At this point, it’s clear the Warriors value Kuminga enough to demand a difference-maker in return, but time may be running out. As negotiations stall and tension rises, Golden State will need to decide whether holding onto an unhappy young talent is worth more than flipping him for a piece that helps them win now.
For Milwaukee, standing firm on Bobby Portis sends a message: they’re all-in on continuity, chemistry, and the pieces that got them here. Even with stars like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Myles Turner leading the charge, role players like Portis might be the ones who make or break their title hopes.
