Bucks turned down Zeke Nnaji and two second-round picks from Denver for Kevin Porter Jr., then waived him, Jake Fischer reports

The Milwaukee Bucks said no to a Denver offer for Kevin Porter Jr. before last Monday’s roster deadline, Jake Fischer reported in The Stein Line, and then waived the guard anyway, eating his $5.39 million salary rather than taking on a contract they did not want for 2027-28.

According to Fischer, the Nuggets were willing to send forward Zeke Nnaji, two future second-round picks and a second-round pick swap to Milwaukee for Porter. The sticking point was Nnaji’s money. He makes $7.47 million this season and holds a player option for the same amount next season, and the Bucks did not want that second year on their books. The teams have not commented on the talks.

Milwaukee released Porter on Monday, October 19, to settle on 15 players, a move first reported by Shams Charania. No team claimed him on waivers, so his full salary stays on the Bucks’ cap this season. The decision cleared backcourt minutes for rookie Brayden Burries, who went 10th in June, and second-year guard Kasparas Jakučionis. Porter averaged 17.4 points, 7.4 assists, 5.2 rebounds and 2.2 steals in 38 games last season.

Why a free pair of picks was not enough

Fischer asked five salary cap specialists with other teams about the offer, and he reported that each would have said yes. Milwaukee holds only four second-round picks and none from 2028 through 2032, so two more would have refilled a thin cupboard. The same experts also said they understood why the Bucks balked at adding $7.47 million for 2027-28.

That number matters because next summer is the one Milwaukee has been building toward. Tyler Herro can become an unrestricted free agent, Jaime Jaquez Jr. is headed for restricted free agency, and Ryan Rollins is expected to turn down his $4 million player option. Even with those decisions ahead, the Bucks are projected to have close to $50 million in cap space when free agency opens while staying under the luxury tax. Fischer described teams chasing “flexibility and optionality” as an unintended side effect of the apron rules, and he questioned whether Milwaukee will find a better use for that $7.47 million than Nnaji and the picks.

A second deal that fell short

Fischer also reported that Milwaukee talked with the Lakers about a trade built around center Jericho Sims and Dalton Knecht. It broke down over picks: the Bucks asked for two second-rounders and Los Angeles would part with one. The Lakers later waived Knecht, who signed a two-way contract with the Knicks on Friday.

Porter, 26, remains a free agent. No team has agreed to sign him since he cleared waivers.

What comes next

The Bucks visit the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday, October 24, at 7:30 p.m. ET. Follow it in the Game Center.