Headline: Bobby Portis Jr. Secures Three-Year Deal with Bucks as Blazers Move On from Deandre Ayton

Bobby Portis Jr. is preparing to finalize a contract extension that will keep him with the Milwaukee Bucks. After opting out of a $13.4 million player option, the 30-year-old power forward is looking to secure a three-year deal worth $44 million, as reported by Shams Charania, a senior NBA insider for ESPN. Portis, who has been a part of the team since 2020 and has played alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo during their championship run in 2021, faced a 25-game suspension this past season due to a violation of the NBA’s anti-drug policy, resulting in him participating in only 55 games during the 2024-25 Regular Season and the 2025 Playoffs presented by Google.

In other news, the Houston Rockets have been active, recently trading for Kevin Durant and now extending Jabari Smith Jr.’s contract, locking him in with a fully guaranteed five-year deal worth $122 million, as Charania indicated on Sunday. The 22-year-old forward has appeared in 219 games since being picked third overall in the 2022 draft by the Rockets.

Additionally, Julius Randle is set to sign a three-year, $100 million contract extension with the Minnesota Timberwolves, which will include a player option for the 2027-28 season, according to Charania. The 30-year-old forward, with 740 career appearances, joined the Timberwolves last October after previous tenures with the New York Knicks, New Orleans Pelicans, and Los Angeles Lakers.

In a separate development, the Portland Trail Blazers have officially released Deandre Ayton following a contract buyout, as reported by Charania. His contract was slated to end after the 2025-26 season.

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