Milwaukee Bucks guard Kevin Porter Jr. spoke candidly about the swirling trade rumors surrounding Giannis Antetokounmpo following Wednesday’s 113-109 win over the Detroit Pistons at Fiserv Forum.
Porter scored 26 points and shared the backcourt with Ryan Rollins, who added 22, while Jericho Sims posted a career-high 15 points and 14 rebounds in a game where Giannis exited early with a right calf strain.
On the subject of Antetokounmpo’s future, Porter emphasized the team’s focus amid outside noise. “Yanni, I’ll just say this, there’s a lot of outside noise. That comes with it. And, you know, Giannis does a great job of assuring that he’s wanting to be here with this group specifically. So, we ain’t worried about all the outside noise,” Porter said.
Porter acknowledged the team’s resilience after losing their star early in the game. “In the moment of the game, all you can say is, we got to elevate. Our star player’s out, so all of us got to elevate. I think Yanni will be proud of us that we were able to come back and finish the game and get a win for him,” he added.
The guard also highlighted his on-court chemistry with Rollins. “We both like to play fast and guard. Me and Ryan can deflect and get some steals to create early offense. He’s a great shooter, a great scorer, and I love to pass,” Porter said, praising the synergy in the backcourt.
Porter reflected on his role during the absence of Giannis and the team’s offensive struggles. “My time out, I wanted to make myself valuable. I focused on little things, studying the game, seeing what we needed to be better at. I just want to make life easy for my guys,” he said.
The guard also praised Sims’ physical presence and contribution on the boards. “Tonight we needed Jericho to be an enforcer. He showed that tonight and helped us a lot on rebounding,” Porter noted.
Porter concluded by acknowledging the intensity of his teammates’ defensive efforts. “Ryan’s motor don’t stop. He guards the best players full court. You can’t teach that, and it helps our offense flow when he gets deflections and steals,” Porter said, underscoring the Bucks’ team-first approach despite uncertainty around Giannis.
Milwaukee will look to maintain momentum and continue competing while Antetokounmpo’s future remains in discussion, with trade talks expected to intensify before the February 5 deadline.
