Report: Bobby Portis suspended 25 games

Not the news the Bucks needed at this point

As the Milwaukee Bucks get back from the All-Star Break, they were greeted with the unfortunate news that Bobby Portis is suspended 25 games for violating the league’s drug policy, per ESPN’s Shams Charania:

Here is Portis’ agent Mark Bartelstein describing the situation:

Portis himself has provided his own perspective on the situation:

“I was dealing with an elbow injury and using an NBA-approved medication for pain and inflammation,” said Portis Jr. “During that time, I made an honest mistake and took a pain-reducing anti-inflammatory pill that is not approved. I feel horrible and recognize that I’m responsible for what I put in my body. From the bottom of my heart, I want to apologize to the Bucks organization, my teammates, coaches, family, and fans. I give everything I have on the court and will terribly miss playing games for the Bucks during this time. I will continue to work hard and be ready for our long playoff run. Thank you for your support. I appreciate it more than you know.”

Milwaukee Bucks GM Jon Horst also chimed in:

“This is a very difficult set of circumstances for Bobby and our team,” said Bucks general manager Jon Horst. “He and the Bucks organization respect the NBA/NBAPA Anti-Drug Program and will accept what’s been handed down. But we 100% support Bobby. Together we will take this opportunity to grow and will have a better and stronger Bobby and Milwaukee Bucks team. He’s an integral part of who we are, a huge member of the Milwaukee community, and we look forward to his return.”

A blink reaction to all of the above is sympathy for Bobby. He took a drug of a similar name for a similar purpose from an assistant. PR spin notwithstanding, 25 games seems harsh, especially in light of other infractions that the NBA has (not) meted out in recent years. Still, the lack of an appeal might suggest otherwise.

In terms of basketball, the Bucks have 29 games remaining in the season, leaving Portis off the court for all but four of them. Milwaukee didn’t exactly set the league on fire during Bobby’s recent absence, in part due to their lack of big man depth. The hope is that recently acquired Jericho Sims can fill the void (not to mention Kyle Kuzma!), but he hasn’t yet seen court time for his new squad. The Bucks will be fighting to stay afloat in the midst of the Eastern playoff pack amidst a tricky March schedule. Ultimately, a tough year just got tougher, both for Bobby and the Bucks.

UPDATES: Per Keith Smith, reinforcements can be on the way soon:

Milwaukee will be able to shore up their big man depth (or lack thereof) in time for their tilt against the Mavs on March 1st. Bobby himself will miss out on close to $3 million: