The Milwaukee Bucks waived Kevin Porter Jr. on Monday, moving on from the guard before the 2026-27 campaign and making him a free agent just as the season approaches. 's Shams Charania reported the decision, which came after Porter spent one full season with Milwaukee.
The move closes a brief but productive chapter for Porter in Milwaukee. Last season, he averaged 17.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 7.4 assists in 38 games, and the 7.4 assists marked a career high. He reached those numbers while working through a lingering right knee injury that kept him out for most of the season, a reminder of how much production he still found despite the limited run.
That is what made the Bucks' choice notable. Porter had been traded to Milwaukee midway through the 2024-25 season after starting the year with the Los Angeles Clippers, and he arrived with enough playmaking to make himself part of the plan. Instead, the team decided to waive him to meet the roster limit, even though his passing numbers were the best of his career and he had become one of the few backcourt pieces capable of creating offense on his own.
There was also outside interest before the move. Porter had been drawing trade interest from the Sacramento Kings before he was waived on Monday, and that interest gives him a possible landing spot if another team moves quickly. The Kings were hit Sunday when Ben Simmons suffered a season-ending torn Achilles, which only sharpened the need for help around the backcourt.
Porter entered the league as a first-round pick in 2019, began his career with the Cleveland Cavaliers and spent three seasons with the Houston Rockets before landing in Milwaukee. The Bucks' decision leaves him available again at a point when teams are still sorting out their final roster spots, and the next step for Porter now depends on whether that interest turns into a contract before opening night.
