The Detroit Pistons have been connected to just about every big man who can shoot, including Bobby Portis of the Milwaukee Bucks.
Portis has a $13.4 million player option for next season, which he’ll likely decline for a bigger deal, which is why some have him as a possible free-agent target for the Pistons, who could use more size, shooting and depth at the four.
But the Pistons will also be hunting for value, guys like Malik Beasley who outplay their contracts, which is crucial for team building under the current CBA.
Portis offers great value for production right now, but may not on his next deal, especially if he gets his way in free agency.
Portis made it clear on a recent episode of the Run it Back podcast that he had no intention of taking another team-friendly deal and wants to be fairly compensated whether it was from Milwaukee or someone else.
This is bad news for Milwaukee, as they will have challenges keeping Portis while still building a better roster around Giannis, which has to be their immediate and obvious goal.
Portis sounds like a guy who is going to decline his option and look to get paid in free agency, which may price him out of the Pistons’ plans.
Detroit Pistons free agency: Bobby Portis
I like Portis’ toughness, rebounding and shooting, but there is a limit on what the Pistons can and should offer him in free agency.
It really depends on what Portis means by being “compensated fairly” and who he thinks his “peers” are in this regard. The Pistons have around $17 million in cap space and other potential exceptions to use, but is Portis (who turned 30 in February) really a guy they want to splash out that much to get?
A two-year deal worth around $30 million with a team option for a third is likely his realistic range but is that something Portis would view as fair? Would the Pistons?
Detroit may be able to find much cheaper or younger options that cost far less (Jake LaRavia) or offer more upside (Santi Aldama) than Portis for that cost.
What Portis wants and what he’ll ultimately get may be far apart, as there aren’t many teams with cap space to throw around in free agency and he won’t be anyone’s top priority.
This could all just be posturing to improve his leverage with the Bucks, where he has played the last five seasons.
The Pistons can’t overpay role players, so they would have to decide what they think Portis’ services are worth and if the cost is too high, look elsewhere.