MILWAUKEE — Moments after the 11 p.m. deadline for three-time All-Star Khris Middleton to accept his player option with the Milwaukee Bucks expired, his agents confirmed through ESPN that he would not be picking up his $40M contract for next season.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Middleton, who will turn 32 in August, is also open to returning to Milwaukee with a new contract.
It was an injury-riddled season for the decadelong Bucks starter, who played only 33 games in the 2022-23 regular season. Though he had some difficult shooting nights as he worked his way back into the lineup, Middleton elevated his play in the first-round series against Miami with roughly 24 points, six assists, and six rebounds per outing in that five-game stretch.
After the series, Middleton underwent an arthroscopic procedure to address some of the lingering issues from a knee injury that sidelined him for weeks of the season. It should not impact his ability to be on the court for the season to come.
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Middleton enters a free agency with many quality starters, former stars and borderline All-Stars seeking new deals as the NBA braces for increased spending in future seasons as part of the recent Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Of the upcoming free agent class, Middleton joins five other players with at least three All-Star appearances — Kyrie Irving (31), James Harden (33), Draymond Green (33), Russell Westbrook (34) and Derrick Rose (34).
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While durability may be a concern for some teams, others will covet Middleton’s shot creation, playmaking and professionalism. Similarly, opposing teams will be intrigued by the rim protection and floor spacing of Milwaukee’s other major impending free agent, Brook Lopez.
The Milwaukee Bucks enter the draft and free agency in a peculiar position with only the last pick in Thursday night’s NBA Draft and limited cap flexibility. Nonetheless, the team stands in a position to re-sign multiple core players or pivot on the fly and re-imagine the lineup.
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