As NBA free agency looms, here is what Bobby Portis is looking forward to and seeking
Bobby Portis is ready for NBA free agency to start.
The 6-foot-11 Washington Wizards power forward was a guest Wednesday at Quincy Pondexter’s basketball camp in Clovis. He said his time spent with youth players “was fun.”
Not so fun: Waiting to see what his pro future will be.
“I’ve been anxious and kind of nervous lately,” he said Wednesday during a break at the camp. “I haven’t thought about it as much up until Monday of this week. I knew it was a week away and I start hearing different things and my agent is telling me different things.”
Portis is a restricted free agent, meaning the player can sign an offer sheet with any team, but the player’s original team can retain him by matching the terms of that offer.
NBA free agency begins at 3 p.m. PST on Sunday, June 30.
Portis was traded to the Wizards from the Chicago Bulls in February. (Pondexter and Portis were teammates during the 2017-18 season.)
The 24-year-old played 28 games for the Wizards and averaged 14.3 points and 8.6 rebounds per game. He’s heading into his fifth NBA season.
The Athletic reported that Portis is seeking $16 million annually and the Wizards don’t plan to match.
Portis said Wednesday, “We don’t have a number set in stone” and he just wants to go to a team that can go far in the playoffs.
“Everything is about opportunity and fit,” he said. “I have a lot of team goals and individual goals for myself. I think all those things will play a part.”
This story was originally published June 26, 2019 at 6:10 PM with the headline "As NBA free agency looms, here is what Bobby Portis is looking forward to and seeking."
