The Golden State Warriors need some new additions to their roster, and one Milwaukee Bucks forward is their perfect solution.
The Golden State Warriors have a strong foundation they can build around since the Jimmy Butler trade in February worked out better than anyone expected it to.
In a very short time playing together, Stephen Curry has fully embraced Jimmy Butler, even trusting him to take the final shot in a close game.
But Curry, Butler, and Draymond Green can’t do it alone. Their team needs some reinforcements, especially as they’re expecting some exits.
Forward Jonathan Kuminga is virtually guaranteed to leave the Warriors this offseason. With a lack of size and depth at the power forward position, the Warriors can target a Milwaukee Bucks star who could be looking for a new adventure.
Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis is one of the big free agents to look out for this offseason. Portis has a $13.4 million player option that he will likely turn down, as he can make more money with a different team.
NBA insider Jake Fischer is reporting that Portis is an option the Golden State Warriors are considering. His time playing under Steve Kerr at the 2023 FIBA World Cup was quite positive.
“Team executives expect Portis to have numerous potential landing spots in the midlevel market as well, although Milwaukee would like to bring back the 30-year-old forward, sources say.”
“Golden State has always been a team to monitor for Portis, who has a notable fan in head coach Steve Kerr from their shared days during the 2023 FIBA World Cup competition with USA Basketball.”
The Warriors lacked serious size in the frontcourt, with Kevon Looney, Trayce Jackson-Davis, and Draymond Green being their only pieces at the power forward and center spots.
If they can land Portis, the Warriors get an experienced player in the prime of his career who can play at a high level on both ends of the court.
While the Golden State Warriors were undersized after the Jimmy Butler trade, they were excellent defensively.
In fact, after the February 6th trade deadline, the Warriors had the best defense in the NBA, with a rating of 111.0.
This great defense carried over into the playoffs, as they ended their postseason campaign with a defensive rating of 112.9, which ranked seventh among all playoff teams.
Adding Portis to their lineup would only make the Warriors better. Here are Portis’ stats from the last two seasons. He not only provides them with strong scoring, but also can play great defense, especially at the rim.
| Statistical Category | 2023-24 Average | 2024-25 Average |
| Points Per Game | 13.8 | 13.9 |
| Rebounds Per Game | 7.4 | 8.4 |
| Assists Per Game | 1.3 | 2.1 |
| Steals Per Game | 0.4 | 0.7 |
| Blocks Per Game | 0.8 | 0.5 |
| Field Goal Percentage | 50.8% | 46.6% |
| Three-Point Percentage | 40.7% | 36.5% |
| Free-Throw Percentage | 79.0% | 83.6% |
| Defensive Rating | 113.1 | 110.5 |
His numbers improved in many categories last season. While he doesn’t average over one block per game, at 6’10, he is still blocking a shot once every two games on average.
Not to mention, his shot-blocking numbers look good while he plays alongside two rim-protecting experts like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Brook Lopez.
On the Warriors, as the biggest player on the team (barring any other signings), Portis will have the chance to swat away a lot more shots while playing defense.
Add to this his strong scoring numbers, and Portis becomes a can’t-miss free agent that the Golden State Warriors should go all out to get.
