NBA
Rumors around the league say that Khris Middleton will likely re-sign with the Milwaukee Bucks this offseason
Zach Wolpin is an NBA and NFL expert who's been betting on the league for over three years now. Wolpin has been a fan of the NBA and has been watching for a decade and a half. He covers the latest news and stories surrounding the league daily. His passion in life is watching sports and being able to share that through his sports writing. He has written about the NBA and other sports leagues through various media outlets over the years like Sir Charles In Charge, G-Men HQ, and TAP into South Plainfield. Before he became an NBA News Writer, Wolpin attended Montclair State University where he graduated in 2021. He studied Sports Media and Writing while in school.
All posts by Zach WolpinUpdated26 Jun 2023
The way Milwaukee’s 2023 postseason ended was not up to the teams’ standards. Mike Budenholzer was fired because of it and the Bucks are hoping to bounce back. This offseason, there are a few key players who Milwaukee is looking to re-sign. One of them is three-time all-star, Khris Middleton. Despite declining his 2023-24 player option, all signs point to him returning to the Bucks next season.
During the 2022-23 season for the Bucks, Khris Middleton only played in 33 games, making 19 starts. The 31-year-old dealt with lingering injuries throughout the regular season. It was an uphill battle for Middleton to get back on the court.
When he returned, his play was not up to the standard that he’s given Milwaukee in the past. It was clear that he was not 100 percent healthy at any point this season. However, the Bucks know that he’s the second-most important player on their roster after Giannis Antetokounmpo. The two parties will try and work out a long-term deal for Middleton this offseason.
Three-time All-Star forward Khris Middleton has declined his $40 million player option with the Milwaukee Bucks to become a free agent, his agents Mike Lindeman and Jeff Schwartz of @excelbasketball tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/k0sO5qhSk6
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 22, 2023
Khris Middleton is an unrestricted free agent this offseason
In 2019, Middleton inked a five-year, $177 million deal with a player option for the 2023-24 season. Last week, Middleton turned down that $40 million 2023-24 player option, making him a free agent. During the 2023 NBA Draft, NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski had a positive outlook for Middelton.
He said there is a “very good opportunity” for the Bucks and Middleton to reach a long-term deal this offseason. The Houston Rockets have shown interest in signing the 2021 NBA champ in free agency. Middleton is not the only unrestricted free agent on the Bucks being targeted by Houston.
Brook Lopez is being targeted by the Bucks this offseason. He’s one of their most important pieces on defense and it would not be easy to replace him. The big man finished third in the NBA last season in blocks per game at 35 years old. Milwaukee will certainly look to get a deal done with both players this off-season to keep their championship core intact.
