What New Miami Heat Acquisition Bobby Portis Had To Say In Introduction

The Miami Heat finally went out and landed a superstar in Giannis Antetokounmpo earlier this offseason as part of one of the biggest blockbuster deals of the decade. While the team has been looking to add a star-level player opposite Bam Adebayo after Jimmy Butler's departure from the franchise, Antetokounmpo was not the only piece added to the team through that trade. Miami also added veteran big man Bobby Portis along with the two-time MVP.

Alongside Antetokounmpo, Portis was officially introduced as one-half of the newest members of the Heat on Thursday afternoon and the veteran expressed his excitement to join the franchise.

"We have a very potent power rotation that is very versatile," Portis said during his presser while referencing Antetokounmpo, Adebayo and Nikola Jovic as the current frontcourt unit.

Erik Spoelstra sat opposite Portis during the press conference and alluded to Portis' strengths as a player.

"Bobby [Portis] is one of the best shooting bigs in the league... low post threat," the future Hall of Fame coach stated.

Portis, 31, has been around the NBA for a long time and brings some much-needed experience to the rotation. His career began in 2015 when he was selected at No. 22 in the draft by the Chicago Bulls out of Arkansas. With the Bulls, he was never a consistent starter as he dealt most damage off the bench behind players like Robin Lopez and Nikola Mirotic. His first two seasons were not as efficient but saw a big increase in numbers during his third season, averaging 13.2 points off the bench. Portis was suspended for eight games that same season for punching Mirotic in the locker room and developed a reputation as a very intense player, which is something that has served him well throughout his career thus far.

After three-and-a-half seasons with Chicago, Portis was dealt to the Washington Wizards for the second half of the 2018-19 season and performed very well. He shot 40 percent from three-point range and averaged a then-career-high in points and rebounds although it was a much smaller sample size. That offseason, he signed a one-year deal to join the New York Knicks where he was once again serviceable off the bench. However, the team opted not to bring him back.

In 2020, Portis signed a brief two-year contract with the Milwaukee Bucks and quickly made an impact, becoming the leader of the second unit and helping lead the team to a championship. He performed admirably during the team's strong playoff run and earned himself a contract extension. Portis remained an integral piece of the Bucks roster until last month when he was dealt alongside Antetokoummpo. Now, Portis looks to bring the intensity from his former stops to a Heat team that is looking to get back to legitimate contention in a competitive Eastern Conference.

“I just want to give a big shoutout to the Heat organization for allowing me to be a part of this trade and allow me to grace the culture," Portis added on Thursday afternoon. "I was born to be a heatle. It fits right in. This was my favorite team growing up. Just want to put that out there."

Portis will be wearing No. 95 this season. The full press conference is available to watch here.

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