Bobby Portis Gets a City’s Worth of Love After Bucks Trade Him Away

The Milwaukee Bucks said goodbye to Bobby Portis on Monday, and they did it the way you say goodbye to somebody who meant more than just minutes played.

The team posted a farewell letter calling the 31-year-old forward “the Mayor of Milwaukee” and “the People’s Champ.” It wasn’t just PR. Portis spent six years with the Bucks, and in that time he became the kind of player fans name their dogs after.

“From day one, Milwaukee embraced you because you embraced the city,” the Bucks wrote. “Every time you took the floor, you embodied what it meant to be a Milwaukee Buck. Your passion, toughness, and heart helped bring a championship back to Milwaukee.”

Portis was part of the package that sent Giannis Antetokounmpo to Miami in a blockbuster trade. That deal reshaped the Bucks roster completely, and Portis was one of the last links to the 2021 title team. He wasn’t just a role player. He was the kind of energy guy who made Milwaukee feel like a real basketball town.

The numbers tell part of the story

Over 406 games with the Bucks, Portis averaged 13.6 points and 8.0 rebounds while shooting 49.3% from the field and 40.9% from three. He was a Sixth Man of the Year finalist three times. Never won it. But he was always in the conversation, and that consistency mattered more than the trophy.

He gave Milwaukee reliable three-point shooting from the big man spot and a rebounding presence that didn’t quit. In a league where stretch forwards come and go, Portis stuck around and got better.

The new-look roster is almost unrecognizable

The Bucks backcourt next season will feature Ryan Rollins and Tyler Herro, with Kevin Porter Jr. and Brayden Burries also in the mix. Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Ousmane Dieng are expected to handle small forward duties. The frontcourt will be Kyle Kuzma, Nate Ament, Myles Turner, and Kel’el Ware.

That’s a lot of new names. And none of them are Bobby Portis. The Bucks are clearly betting on a different kind of identity now. But the farewell letter made one thing obvious: the city isn’t ready to move on from “The Mayor” just yet, even if the roster already has.