Bucks could give Spurs, Wembanyama a helping hand
By GERY WOELFEL
The San Antonio Spurs didn’t win the NBA title this season, falling to the New York Knicks in five games in the Finals.
But the Spurs clearly served noticed they’ll be a title contenders for years to come.
Or as long Victor Wembanyama stays healthy.
Wembanyama, the Spurs’ phenomenal 7-foot-4 forward, turned in a stellar Finals performance, averaging a double-double of 26 points and 11.2 rebounds.
But there were numerous times during the Finals when Wembanyam was noticeably fatigued. And that’s understandable because the Spurs didn’t have any capable replacements for the 22-year-old
Wembanyama.
The fewest minutes Wembanyama played in the series was 38 minutes. He averaged 39.8 for the five games.
The Spurs brass is obviously aware that Wemby needs help in the frontcourt and will likely pursue a trade this summer.
They need to look no further than Milwaukee.
The Bucks not only have one but two veteran bigs who could lighten the load on Wembanyama.
One is Bobby Portis, who has been a key reserve for the Bucks and played a instrumental role in the Bucks winning the 2021 NBA championship.
Portis, 31, contributed 13.7 points and 6.4 rebounds in 67 games this season. He also has a trade-friendly contract: $14.5 million next season and a player option of $15.5M the following season.
The word in NBA circles is that Portis, a huge fan favorite in Milwaukee, wants a contract extension and isn’t at all averse to being traded.
Another Bucks big man who could nicely complement Wembanyama is Myles Turner. The 30-year-old Turner has a richer contract than Portis, but he’s also a better player.
Turner will collect $26.5M next season and $27.8M the following season. He has a player option of $29.1M for the 2028-2029 season.
Turner is coming off a sub-par season, one in which he averaged 11.9 points and 5.3 rebounds. In the three previous seasons with Indiana, though, Turner played considerably better and averaged between 15.6-to-18 points and 6.5-to-7.5 rebounds per game.
His forte is interior defense. He is a high-level rim protector who averaged at least two blocks in six of the last eight seasons.
Turner has also been quite reliable. He’s started 220 games the last three season — or 73 games per season.
“I don’t know what went on with him this season, but he’s a better player than he showed,” an NBA player personnel official said. “I think you could still get a mid-to-late first-rounder for him.”
If the Spurs would pursue either Turner or Portis, they wouldn’t likely have to sacrifice any major piece on their roster.
The Spurs have several intriguing players who aren’t in their starting rotation, including Keldon Johnson and Carter Bryant.
Johnson, 26, was the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year this season and played in all 23 postseason games. Bryant, 20, was the 14th overall pick in the 2025 draft and played in 22 postseason games.
The Spurs also have draft capital at their disposal, including the 20th overall pick in the upcoming draft.
