Suspension Will Cost Bobby Portis $2.85 Million In Salary

The NBA announced on Thursday morning that Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis will be suspended for 25 games for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. It is a tough blow for both the organization and the player, and will wind up costing Portis nearly $3 million.

Suspension Will Cost Bobby Portis $2.85 Million

The explanation given by Portis’ agent Mark Bartelstein says that his client unknowingly ingested a banned substance. In his statement released shortly after the news broke, Bartelstein said that Portis mistakingly took a pain medication called Tramadol, which was added to the banned substance list less than a year ago. He thought that he was taking a similarly named pain med called Toradol, which is one that is approved by the league and used for pain management and inflammation.

Roster/financial implications in Milwaukee

The 25 game suspension for Bobby Portis will cost:

Total: $2.85M

Per game: $114,348

Roster

Milwaukee can sign a replacement starting with the 6th game of the suspension.

— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) February 20, 2025

The 25-game suspension will have a hefty impact on the pockets of Bobby Portis. According to NBA insider Bobby Marks, the time missed will cost the 29-year-old $2.85 million in salary, or $114,348 per game. He is in the third year of a four-year, $48.5 million deal that includes a player option for the final season, and was originally set to earn over $12.5 million for the 2024-25 season.

Can Bucks Stay Afloat In Top-6 In The East?

The Bucks are in a heated race for positioning in the Eastern Conference, and could have a tough time replacing the production of Portis. He is the leader of the team’s second unit, and his 13.7 points per game is the fourth-highest total on the team (third if you don’t include newcomer Kyle Kuzma). Milwaukee is in 5th place in the East coming out of the All-Star break with a record of 29-24, just one game up on the Detroit Pistons and one back of the Indiana Pacers.

As for the team’s roster construction options, the Bucks will be able to sign a replacement after the 6th game of the suspension. The 25-game ban will be effective immediately, and will allow Portis to return to action with just four games left in the regular season.

In addition to his 13.7 points per game, Bobby Portis is also adding 8.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists this season.