Bucks waive Kevin Porter Jr.

Minutes before the 4:00 p.m. deadline to finalize their regular-season roster, the Milwaukee Bucks announced they waived Kevin Porter Jr. This brings the final roster to 15 after the weekend saw the Bucks waive several other players, including Pete Nance. The 26-year-old’s waiving comes after a snake-bitten year; in the 2025-2026 campaign, KPJ suited up for only 36 games, but he started all 36, averaging 17.4 PPG, 5.2 RPG, and 7.4 APG.

An unfortunate outcome, this is another turn in the road for KPJ. In 2019, the Bucks traded their first-round pick (30th) and Tony Snell to the Detroit Pistons for Jon Leuer, and the following night Detroit flipped that pick to the Cleveland Cavaliers for four future second-round picks. Despite a solid rookie season, Porter was traded the following season after returning from a leave of absence and getting into a locker-room fight upon his return. Houston sent a protected second-round pick for him, and the new franchise seemed like a better fit, as Porter showed major growth over the next few seasons.

Then, in 2022, Porter signed a four-year extension worth up to $82.5m, but only guaranteed for one year, $15.9m, due to ongoing concerns about volatility. Before the start of the 2023 season, Porter was arrested in New York and charged with felony assault following a domestic abuse altercation. The Rockets then traded him to the Oklahoma City Thunder, who absorbed his contract and waived him immediately. Porter then spent a year playing in Greece, pleading guilty to misdemeanor assault. After his overseas stint, Porter signed a two-year veteran minimum deal with the LA Clippers, where he played the season before the Bucks traded him.

After opting into his player option this year, Porter will earn $5.39m before he becomes a free agent, despite being waived. While unfortunate, the guard-room logjam was well documented, and with the additions of Tyler Herro, Brayden Burries, and Kasparas Jakucionis—plus Ryan Rollins’s emergence last year as a Most Improved Player candidate—Porter likely would have seen fewer minutes this season. Despite the summer debate over who should start, Bucks fans would agree that wherever he lands, he will likely provide a strong offensive punch for his new team.

All the best, KPJ!