It’s quite possible we’ve seen the last of Kevin Porter Jr. in 2025–26. Prior to today’s game against the San Antonio Spurs, Bucks head coach Doc Rivers said that he would be “surprised” if KPJ played again this season. The news was initially reported by Eric Nehm of The Athletic.
It’s been an injury-riddled season for KPJ, as he’s only been able to suit up for 38 games. This latest injury is right knee synovitis in the same knee he had meniscus surgery on in October, which caused him to miss four weeks. According to the Cleveland Clinic, synovitis is swelling of the synovial membrane that lines some joints in the leg. Porter has missed nine of the last 12 games with this latest ailment, last playing on March 17. When he has suited up, KPJ has put up some of the best numbers of his career since his last season in Houston, averaging 17.4 PPG, 7.4 APG, 5.2 RPG, and a shooting line of .465/.322/.878.
Milwaukee sits nine games back of the Heat for 10th in the East, and with a loss today, the Bucks will officially be eliminated from playoff contention. It’s likely the team will play this injury with more caution than the others. So, unfortunately for Porter, he’ll likely have to wait until next season to beat Bam Adebayo’s 83-point single-game scoring mark.
That shifts Porter’s focus to the off-season, and it’s not guaranteed that KPJ returns to Milwaukee. Porter holds a $5.4m player option for 2026–27, making him an unrestricted free agent this summer if he declines it. If he opts out, the Bucks will have his Bird rights and access to the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception of $15.1m, giving Milwaukee the chance to give KPJ a raise themselves.