As the 2023-24 NBA season draws near, the Milwaukee Bucks have begun training camp with the intentions of being the final team standing when all is said and done. A long road presents itself for the 2021 champions, but the goal for the Bucks is to win another title, especially with their new star-studded trio of Damian Lillard, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton.

Milwaukee shocked the NBA world when they traded for Lillard right before the start of training camp and now, there is a lot of hype surrounding this team. The only problem with the Bucks right now is that Middleton hasn't been a full participant entering the preseason.

The three-time All-Star swingman has dealt with a lot of injury concerns through the years and only played in a total of 33 games last season due to various ailments. On Wednesday, new head coach Adrian Griffin talked to reporters about Middleton's status, providing optimism on where his health is at with the season right around the corner.

“Not live on the court, but he's been very productive with his individual workouts and he's been working his way towards getting back to more 5-on-5 live basketball,” Griffin stated when asked about if Middleton practiced with the team on Wednesday, via The Athletic's Eric Nehm. “We got time on our side. We're just being smart and he's been working diligently to get back, so that's the plan.”

As far as what Middleton is dealing with, Griffin did not go into any details on what is wrong with his star wing. However, he did state multiple times that the team is going to be “smart” and take things “day-by-day.”

Back in June, Middleton had a surgical procedure on his right knee in order to address an issue that bothered him all throughout the 2022-23 season. This clean-up procedure was planned and scheduled ahead of the end of the season, according to The Athletic.

Just a few weeks back, Griffin said that both Middleton and Antetokounmpo, who also had a minor procedure done in the offseason, were expected to be ready for the start of training camp. Even then, the message was that the team was taking a “day-to-day” approach.

The good news for the Bucks and their fans is that both Dame and Giannis appear to be healthy and ready for preseason games to begin. Pertaining to Middleton, the good news is that he is getting stronger and working his way back to full basketball activities, which means he should be ready for the start of the regular season.

The Bucks will begin the 2023-24 season at home on October 26 when reining league MVP Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers come to town.