Season stats: 2025-26. Updated 6 h ago.
Kevin Porter Jr. Exercises Bucks Option, Now Day-to-Day With Knee Injury
newsroom · 2 h agoKevin Porter Jr. is running it back in Milwaukee after exercising his $5.39 million player option for 2026-27. He's currently day-to-day with a right knee and leg issue, with an estimated return of October 1, 2026. Last season he posted 17.4 points and 7.4 assists a night for the Bucks over 38 games.
Porter Picks Up His Option
Kevin Porter Jr. is staying put. The 26-year-old guard-forward exercised his $5.39 million player option for the 2026-27 season on Thursday, according to Michael Scotto of USA Today. Porter wears No. 7 for Milwaukee and enters his sixth NBA season after coming out of USC. At 6-5 and 203 pounds, he gives the Bucks a combo guard who can play either backcourt spot. The move keeps his salary and his roster spot locked in for the coming year rather than testing free agency. For a team building its rotation for 2026-27, having Porter's option decision settled removes one variable from the offseason picture as camp approaches.
Injury Report: Right Knee
Porter is currently listed as day-to-day with a right knee and leg injury. The estimated return date is October 1, 2026, which lines up with the run-up to the regular season. The injury report shows a single logged entry dated September 6, 2026, for the knee issue. There's no recent-game log yet to show if this is lingering from last season or a fresh preseason issue, and no further detail beyond the day-to-day designation. For now, the expected return puts him on track to be available for or near the start of the 2026-27 season, but his status is worth checking again as the opener nears.
What He Did Last Season
Last season, in 2025-26, Porter played 38 games for Milwaukee and averaged 33.2 minutes, 17.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 7.4 assists. He also chipped in 2.2 steals and 0.5 blocks while turning it over 2.9 times a game. Efficiency-wise, he shot 46.5% from the field, 32.2% from three and 87.8% from the free-throw line, good for a 56.7 true shooting percentage. His usage rate sat at 23.6%, showing he was a significant part of Milwaukee's offense, though his plus-minus came in at minus-2.8 on the season. Those are the numbers he brings into 2026-27 as a returning piece of the roster.
Role Heading Into 2026-27
The stat line from last season points to Porter as a ball-handler who does a bit of everything: he averaged the second-most assists on a per-game basis among his own counting stats, alongside solid scoring and steal numbers. A 23.6% usage rate paired with 7.4 assists suggests he was heavily involved in setting up offense as well as scoring it himself. The 56.7 true shooting mark shows reasonable efficiency for a high-usage guard-forward. With the option exercised, Porter returns to Milwaukee with that same skill set intact, and how quickly he clears the knee issue will determine when the Bucks can plug him back into that role for 2026-27.
Background
Porter is 26 years old and enters his sixth NBA season. He played college basketball at USC before turning pro. Listed at 6-5 and 203 pounds, he has the frame to play both guard spots, which is reflected in his official position listing of guard-forward. He finished last season with Milwaukee, the same team he opened his option for this year. Beyond the option news and the current knee injury, there's no additional roster, trade or contract detail to report at this time.
Questions fans ask
Did Kevin Porter Jr. re-sign with the Bucks?
He exercised his existing $5.39 million player option for 2026-27 on Thursday, per Michael Scotto of USA Today, rather than signing a new deal.
What is Kevin Porter Jr.'s current injury status?
He's day-to-day with a right knee and leg injury, with an estimated return date of October 1, 2026.
What were Porter's stats last season?
In 2025-26 with Milwaukee, he averaged 17.4 points, 7.4 assists, 5.2 rebounds and 2.2 steals over 38 games.
What position does Kevin Porter Jr. play?
He's listed as a guard-forward and wears No. 7 for the Bucks.
Where did Kevin Porter Jr. play college basketball?
He played at USC (Southern California) before entering the NBA.
How efficient was Porter shooting the ball last season?
He shot 46.5% from the field, 32.2% from three and 87.8% from the free-throw line, for a 56.7 true shooting percentage.
Game log
last 0| Date | Opp | Result | Min | Pts | Reb | Ast | FG | 3P | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No games logged yet this season. | |||||||||