Milwaukee, Miami and Washington each took notable steps in shaping their rosters ahead of free agency, with Kevin Porter Jr. opting in, the Heat searching for shooters and the Wizards hunting for another center.
Bucks
Guard Kevin Porter Jr. exercised his $5.4 million player option, committing to the Milwaukee Bucks for the 2026-27 season, according to HoopsHype. Porter, 26, appeared in 38 games after arriving from the Clippers during the 2024-25 campaign, averaging 17.4 points, 7.4 assists and 2.2 steals while starting 36 times despite a knee injury.
Milwaukee’s backcourt has already undergone change with the acquisition of Tyler Herro, the drafting of Brayden Burries and the addition of Lithuanian guard Kasparas Jakucionis. The club is still awaiting player-option decisions from veterans Taurean Prince and Gary Trent Jr.
Heat
After landing Giannis Antetokounmpo in the offseason’s headline trade, the Miami Heat are using the taxpayer mid-level exception and an existing trade exception to reinforce the roster around Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo.
League sources have linked Miami to free-agent wings Tim Hardaway Jr., Quentin Grimes, Tobias Harris and Harrison Barnes as the front office prioritizes perimeter shooting. The Heat also moved up on draft night to select Louisville guard Ryan Conwell.
“Clearly we’re trying to identify players that have a shooting skill, and he certainly does,” assistant general manager Adam Simon said, noting Conwell’s projected 37 percent accuracy from three-point range, a figure Miami ranked in the top percentile of 650 prospects it evaluated.
Wizards
The Washington Wizards continue to seek frontcourt depth after moving up in the second round to draft Felix Okpara. General manager Will Dawkins said the team intends to add another big man once free agency opens.
“That’s still a position that we’re going to try to address in free agency,” Dawkins told reporters. The current group features lottery pick Alex Sarr, veteran Anthony Davis, floor-spacing forward Tristan Vukcevic and rim-protector Okpara.
Free agency opens next week, giving all three clubs opportunities to finalize their summer rosters.
Source: Hoops Wire
