Report: Bobby Portis interested in joining Lakers to reunite with Davin Ham

By Peter Dewey
Updated: May 31, 2023

Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Milwaukee Bucks big man Bobby Portis could be an option for the Los Angeles Lakers this offseason as they look to solidify their frontcourt rotation behind Anthony Davis.

According to a source, Portis is interested in joining the Lakers to reunite with former head coach Darvin Ham.

Ham left the Bucks following the 2021-22 season to take the Lakers coaching job. He helped coach the Bucks during their NBA Finals run in the 2020-21 season with Portis on the roster.

Portis, 28, has a player option on his contract with the Bucks for the 2025-26 season. The option is worth north of $13 million.

The Lakers could certainly use a player like Portis up front, as the team was extremely thin behind Anthony Davis after Mo Bamba suffered an ankle injury in the 2022-23 season. Wenyen Gabriel was the primary big man to play behind Davis for the Lakers in the playoffs.

Portis, who has played both the power forward and center spot in his career, appeared in 70 games for the Bucks in the 2022-23 season, making 22 starts.

He averaged 14.1 points, 9.6 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game while shooting 49.6 percent from the field and 37.0 percent from beyond the arc.

The former first-round pick’s ability to stretch the floor would make him extremely valuable to the Lakers for spacing reasons. It would also allow him to play alongside Davis, similarly to how he played with Brook Lopez and Giannis Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee.

Since Portis is still under contract with the Bucks, the Lakers would need to orchestrate a trade for the Arkansas native. It remains to be seen what type of package the Lakers would be willing to give up to acquire him.

Ham clearly had an impact on the players in Milwaukee, as he was considered a favorite of Antetokounmpo during his time with the franchise. That’s good news for the Lakers, as it should help them bring players to Los Angeles since Ham seems to be a coach that is enjoyable to play for.

The Lakers now enter a critical offseason and will look to upgrade their roster after losing in the Western Conference Finals to the Denver Nuggets in the 2022-23 campaign.