Report: Bobby Portis declines team option with Milwaukee Bucks, will test free agency

Bobby Portis is hitting the open market. The Milwaukee Bucks forward and former Arkansas star will decline his team option and become a free agent, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. He just wrapped up his third season with the Bucks and helped them to an Eastern Conference Semifinals appearance one year after winning the NBA Finals.

The Chicago Bulls drafted Portis as the No. 22 pick in the 2015 NBA Draft and he played in Chicago until 2019. At the 2019 trade deadline, the Bulls traded Portis to the Washington Wizards for Otto Porter Jr. and he finished the year there. He then signed with the New York Knicks before heading to Milwaukee in November 2020.

NBA free agency officially starts Thursday at 6 p.m. ET, so Portis might not have to wait long to find his new home.

Bradley Beal opts out of final year with Washington Wizards, to test free agency

Washington Wizards star Bradley Beal has opted out of the final year of his contract and will pursue a new contract in free agency. Beal made the decision to not accept his player option worth a $36.4 million salary, intending to sign a new long-term deal with his current value.

The relationship between Beal and the Wizards appears to still be a good one and the Wizards made a move earlier on Wednesday that added three-point shooters in Will Barton and Monte Morris via a trade with the Denver Nuggets. The option to re-sign Beal to a new max contract is still in play, but other teams will certainly approach the star with significant offers.

Beal is one of the biggest names in free agency this offseason, especially after Russell Westbrook and Kyrie Irving opted in to their major contracts for next season. James Harden has not yet opted into his contract, making him a name to watch alongside Beal over the coming weeks.