Milwaukee Bucks Re-Sign Bobby Portis And Taurean Prince Day 1 Of Free Agency

The Milwaukee Bucks pulled a rabbit out of their hat on Day 1 of NBA free agency, re-signing three of their own while somehow keeping their full non-taxpayer mid-level exception stashed away for another spell.

Heading into Monday, the Bucks had their work cut out for them. The roster had some glaring holes, and with a limited bag of tricks to fix it, they needed some front-office wizardry.

They started building the puzzle a day early, locking in Bobby Portis on a multi-year deal. That gave them a sturdy piece up front—but they still had a whole magical menagerie of free agents to address: Kevin Porter Jr., Brook Lopez, Gary Trent Jr., Ryan Rollins, Taurean Prince, and Jericho Sims all floating in the ether.

Rollins is a restricted free agent and likely sticking around—no sleight of hand needed there.

But one big name slipped away. Brook Lopez packed his bags and headed west, signing with the Los Angeles Clippers and ending his spellbinding six-year run in Milwaukee.

Lopez was summoned from NBA obscurity back in 2018. The Bucks snagged him on a bargain bin deal, helped him reinvent his game, and watched him become one of the most unique big men in the league.

Now, at 37, he’s still cashing in—inking a two-year, $18 million deal in L.A. The Bucks could’ve matched that, sure, but it’s clear they’re turning the page at center. A new chapter—and likely a new big man—is coming soon.

But here’s where it gets magical.

Milwaukee managed to re-sign Porter Jr., Prince, and Trent Jr. all on Day 1—without burning even one enchanted dollar of their $14.1 million mid-level exception.

Porter Jr. was first through the door. He came back via the bi-annual exception—inking a deal worth $5.39 million this season, with a player option for $5.66 million in 2026. Solid value for a sparkplug scorer.

Next came Taurean Prince, locked in on a vet-min deal: one year guaranteed with—you guessed it—a player option for year two. He’ll count just $3.3 million against the cap this year and $3.89 million the next, if he opts in. Jon Horst, Milwaukee’s GM, clearly loves a good player option.

Then came the real stunner: Gary Trent Jr.

Most folks thought Milwaukee would have to dip deep into their mid-level exception for him. But Horst waved his wand and re-signed Trent using non-Bird rights—keeping his deal at just $3.69 million for 2025-26, with (say it with us) a $3.88 million player option in 2026-27.

That’s three key rotational guys back in the fold—and the Bucks still have their full mid-level exception, a $7.2 million trade exception, and the trusty vet-min tool at their disposal. Even after all that hocus pocus, they’re still nearly $19 million below the first apron which they’re hard-capped at.

Of course, there’s more work to be done.

Retaining talent is great, but it won’t get Milwaukee out of the first round. They’ve now been bounced early three straight years, and this team needs more juice if it wants to make another Finals run.

Still, we’ve got to tip our cap to Jon Horst. On Day 1 of free agency, when most thought the Bucks were boxed in, he opened the trap door and pulled off a clean escape. Now we wait to see what other tricks he’s got up his sleeve. The summer’s just getting started.