Next to Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton has been the Milwaukee Bucks' second-best scoring option, and he played an integral part in their 2021 championship run. Opting to decline his $40.3 million player option for the 2023-24 season and enter free agency, Middleton is not leaving Milwaukee anytime soon after signing a new $102 million contract.
According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Middleton and the Bucks have agreed to a new three-year, $102 million deal that will keep the three-time All-Star under contract in Milwaukee through the 2024-25 season at the very least.
Middleton's contract contains a player option for the 2025-26 season.
Coming off of his 11th NBA season in the NBA, all of which he has spent with the Bucks, Middleton will be looking for some good fortune after an injury riddled year.
After undergoing surgery for a torn ligament in his left wrist last offseason, Middleton missed nearly the first two months of the 2022-23 season. Dealing with right knee pain and soreness during most of the year, Middleton recently underwent a surgical procedure on his knee after Milwaukee was eliminated from the playoffs. He is expected to make a full recovery and be 100 percent for the start of training camp in September.
Khris Middleton's fit with Bucks' future
A dangerous scorer who can get to his spots in the mid-range area, Middleton did not have a strong 2022-23 campaign as a result of all of his injuries. In fact, he averaged just 15.1 points per game on 43.6 percent shooting from the floor, both of which were some of the lowest marks of his career since becoming an everyday starter for Milwaukee.
Even though he was not healthy virtually the entire season, the Bucks still recorded the best record in the NBA at 58-24 and claimed home-court advantage throughout the postseason. However, Milwaukee's playoff journey was short-lived, as they were eliminated in the first-round by the 8-seeded Miami Heat. As a result, Milwaukee moved on from head coach Mike Budenholzer and replaced him with former Toronto Raptors assistant coach Adrian Griffin.
With Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jrue Holiday both remaining under contract for the Bucks, Middleton's return should once again make them the favorites to win the Eastern Conference. This team definitely has the ability to win another championship, especially if their stars are healthy and can remain on the floor. Having a full offseason to rest and recover, Middleton should be ready to go for the start of the 2023-24 season.
In 33 games this past season, 19 of which he started in, Middleton averaged 15.1 points, 4.9 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game while shooting 43.6 percent from the floor.
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