Fawning or Warning? On KPJ, rebounding, & must-haves

Welcome to the inaugural Fawning or Warning?, a new fortnightly feature where I muse on all things Milwaukee Bucks, however explicitly or tangentially related, and determine if they’re worth fawning over or if they’re a warning sign of something going awry.

KPJ, roster building

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN – OCTOBER 05: Head coach Taylor Jenkins of the Milwaukee Bucks talks with Kevin Porter Jr. #7 in the first quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves in a preseason NBA game at Fiserv Forum on October 05, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images

My initial reaction to Kevin Porter Jr.’s axing was a combination of surprise and frustration. In fact, I had pencilled in Jon Horst as the inaugural Winners & Sinners sinner, penning the following before deciding against it:

Jon Horst. Yes, the Bucks were in a (self-imposed) difficult roster crunch prior to the season. And, yes, Kevin Porter Jr. opting in to his contract earlier in the offseason might not have been part of their plans. But to let a guy who was arguably the best player on the team last year, who has immense talent—perhaps the most on the team, and who Bucks fans still saw as the seventh-most-important player on the team go for nothing stings. To do that when there were much more logical options—ones fans wanted—makes it all the worse. Kyle Kuzma, Caris LeVert, and their expiring contracts sure better bring something meaningful back at the trade deadline.

Since then, thanks in no small part to all of your commentary, I’ve come to rationalise the move—and now actually support it. For one, as a one-year, $5.4m deal, Porter’s contract was a relatively easy one to cut. From an ownership perspective, this is an easier pill to swallow than, say, LeVert’s $14.8m deal. From a GM perspective, despite Porter certainly being the better talent and more productive player at this stage in their respective careers, it also makes sense….

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/fawning-warning-kpj-rebounding-must-120000715.html

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Publish date : 2026-10-30 12:00:00

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