Kevin Porter Jr. posted a career-shaping year in an injury-shortened 2025-26, then watched the roster around him get rebuilt from the ground up. He enters 2026-27 as Milwaukee's clearest source of shot creation, working back from a right knee ailment before the preseason opens.
Last season
Porter played 38 games for the Bucks last season, averaging 17.4 points, 7.4 assists and 5.2 rebounds in 33.2 minutes, plus 2.2 steals and 0.5 blocks. He shot 46.5 percent from the field but just 32.2 percent from three on 3.8 attempts a game, and his 2.9 turnovers a night came with heavy shot-creation duty. His 87.8 percent free-throw mark and 56.7 percent true shooting showed touch even as the outside shot lagged.
This summer
The Bucks traded Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis to Miami on June 23 for Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel'el Ware and Kasparas Jakucionis, then hired Taylor Jenkins as head coach after Doc Rivers resigned. Porter was already on the roster and survived the turnover as one of the few holdovers, alongside Ryan Rollins, AJ Green, Myles Turner and Kyle Kuzma, in a backcourt now built around ball movement rather than one star driving to the rim.
This week
Porter is listed day-to-day for a right knee ailment, with the Bucks targeting an October 1 return. That timeline would have him back before Milwaukee's preseason opener October 5 against Minnesota, and well ahead of the October 21 regular-season opener at Washington, though nothing beyond the target date has been reported.
Looking ahead
Last season's advanced numbers show the tension: a 33.6 percent assist rate and 23.6 percent usage mark him as a lead ball handler, but his 111.4 offensive rating, 116.1 defensive rating and -4.7 net rating show the two-way price of that role. At $5.4 million on a player option for 2026-27, he is cheap for what the offense needs him to become: a table-setter who can also make the outside shot Milwaukee's roster otherwise lacks.
What is wrong with Kevin Porter Jr.?
He is listed day-to-day for a right knee ailment, with Milwaukee targeting an October 1 return.
What is Kevin Porter Jr.'s contract situation?
He is on a $5.4 million player option for the 2026-27 season.
