The Miami Heat have been busy this offseason. Their blockbuster trade with the Milwaukee Bucks for Giannis Antetokounmpo has drastically changed their outlook for the upcoming season, but he isn’t the only player coming back to the Heat in this deal, as the team also landed veteran forward Bobby Portis.
Many folks believe that Portis was simply included as part of this trade for salary-matching purposes, but he is intent on proving that isn’t the case. When speaking to reporters on Thursday, Portis fired back at the narrative that is being pushed about him in the wake of this deal, as he made it clear he is going to be a key contributor for his new team in the 2026-27 campaign.
Bobby Portis on Heat Trade — ‘Not Just Some Throw-In Piece’
Antetokounmpo is the main addition that everyone in Miami is talking about, and for good reason. Sure, he only played in 36 games last year, but when he was on the court, he still put up big numbers (27.6 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 5.4 APG, 62.4 FG%), proving he remains one of the top players in the NBA. With him in town, the Heat are a legitimate championship threat out of the Eastern Conference.
Portis is no slouch, though. He’s spent the past six seasons playing alongside Antetokounmpo, and he will now join his longtime teammate in Miami as a key member of the team’s frontcourt rotation. This past season, Portis averaged 13.7 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game while shooting 48.8% from the field, including a blistering 45.6% from behind the arc.
Considering how many pieces of their rotation the Heat had to give up to pull off this deal, Portis is just as important when it comes to head coach Erik Spoelstra’s rotation as Antetokounmpo. Portis knows he’s getting overlooked since he was part of a trade that netted Antetokounmpo for Miami, but he didn’t hold back when discussing his attitude towards this deal.
“It’s kind of good to have a legendary coach like Spo, and obviously Pat, who’s a legend as well, to want me here,” Portis said at his introductory press conference. “I’m not just some throw-in piece that people may think; I ain’t that. From day one, they’re gonna get a competitor.”
Bobby Portis Set to Immediately Become a Key Piece of the Heat’s Rotation
GettyMIAMI, FLORIDA – JANUARY 12: Bobby Portis #9 of the Milwaukee Bucks warms up prior to a game against the Miami Heat at the Miami-Dade County arena on January 12, 2023 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
The Heat’s rotation is looking a bit barren now that Antetokounmpo is in town. Their frontcourt is well-stocked, as Antetokounmpo will start alongside Bam Adebayo and Andrew Wiggins, with Portis and Nikola Jovic coming off the bench. The backcourt, though, is a work in progress, as Davion Mitchell and Tim Hardaway Jr. are currently penciled in as the team’s starters.
With Antetokounmpo leading the way, though, Miami has more leeway than it has had in recent seasons. Hardaway is a skilled shooter, and while Mitchell is relatively inconsistent, he has shown spurts of being a skilled two-way guard. The strength of this team is its frontcourt, though, and that’s due in large part to the arrival of Portis, not just Antetokounmpo.
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