Khris Middleton will officially test free agency following a midnight ET deadline to pick up his player option for the 2023-24 season.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the three-time All-Star, and former Texas A&M Aggie, has declined his $40 million player option with the Milwaukee Bucks to become a free agent. Middleton is coming off a five-year, $178 million contract he signed with the Bucks during the 2019 offseason.
Wojnarowski noted that a return to the Bucks remains a possibility for Middleton.
The Bucks’ number two star was limited to just 33 games during the 2022-23 regular season in light of a handful of injuries. He missed the first 20 games of the season after undergoing surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left wrist. Middleton also dealt with the reactivation of a prior knee injury, which factored into his scoring average of 15.1 points per game last season, a drop-off compared to his 20.1 points per game the year before.
Middleton reportedly underwent right knee surgery following the Bucks’ first-round playoff exit to the Miami Heat.
A return to the Bucks on a new deal remains a possibility for Middleton. https://t.co/KYpy4qLYZe
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 22, 2023
While this latest development officially means Middleton is a free agent, and theoretically can sign with a new team, it’s hard to fathom the three-time All-Star and NBA champion making such a move.
If anything, this decision could be a prelude to signing a new deal with a lower average salary for the coming season. That could aid the Bucks in re-signing free agent center Brook Lopez.
Keeping Milwaukee’s core of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Middleton, Jrue Holiday, and Lopez together will likely be the priority after coming off a first-round exit in the playoffs. Despite some lingering questions around an aging roster, the Bucks are still built to be among the favorites to win the Eastern Conference heading into the 2023-24 season.
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