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Khris Middleton declines $40 million player option with Bucks

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James Foglio
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James Foglio Sports Editor

James is a Basketball Insiders contributor. He earned his bachelor's degree in English and Creative Writing from Southern New Hampshire University. James enjoys watching sports and helping gamblers win money.

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Sports Editor

Updated22 Jun 2023

Khris Middleton declines $40 million player option with Milwaukee Bucks

Khris Middleton declined his $40 million player option with the Milwaukee Bucks for the 2023-24 season. This is part of the five-year, $177.5 million contract he signed with the club in July 2019. The three-time All-Star is now set to become an unrestricted free agent.

Middleton had a cap hit of $40,396,552 for the 2023-24 season. Despite opting out, the 11-year veteran could still sign a new deal with Milwaukee. Middleton, who turns 32 in August, made 19 starts in 33 appearances with the team in the 2022-23 season. He averaged 15.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, 4.9 assists, and 24.3 minutes per game.

According to a few NBA betting sites, the Milwaukee Bucks hold third-shortest odds to win next season’s championship in 2024. Sportsbooks are showing better odds for the Denver Nuggets and Boston Celtics.


Khris Middleton has dealt with a number of injuries since the 2022 NBA Playoffs. The South Carolina native missed the first 20 games of the 2022-23 season due to offseason wrist surgery. The Bucks forward then went on to miss 18 games through December and January because of right knee soreness as well.

In Milwaukee’s 126-117 win over the Detroit Pistons on Mar. 27, Middleton scored a season-high 34 points in the same number of minutes. Along with logging eight rebounds and five assists, the forward shot 13-of-23 (56.5%) from the floor and 7-of-8 (87.5%) at the foul line.

Khris Middleton declines $40 million player option with the Milwaukee Bucks for the 2023-24 season, becomes an unrestricted free agent

Moreover, then-Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer praised Middleton for his importance to Milwaukee in February. “He’s huge. Just his ability to space, his ability to get off quickly, his range, he extends behind the line,” Budenholzer said. “He just does a lot of little things for us on both ends that really make a big difference.

“The threat of his shot creates so many opportunities. When the bigs roll, they have to contest his three-point shots, his pull-ups. He has a great touch, great timing, great pass, great vision. That’s what we’ve seen a lot from Khris over the years.”


On May 4, the Bucks fired Budenholzer after the top-seeded contender lost in five games to an eighth-seeded Miami Heat team in the first round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs. Earlier this month, former Toronto Raptors assistant Adrian Griffin succeeded Budenholzer as head coach.

In Milwaukee’s first-round playoff series, Khris Middleton recorded 33 points in Games 1 and 5 against the Heat. In five starts against Miami, the Texas A&M product averaged 23.8 points, 6.4 boards, and 34.6 minutes per game. Plus, Middleton shot 46.5% from the field and 40.6% from 3-point range.

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