Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton plans to re-sign with the team in free agency once he declines his player option for the last year of his deal, according to Mike Fisher of 247Sports.
Middleton signed a five-year, $70 million deal in 2015 and is likely to get a handsome raise over the $13 million he would have made in 2019-20 by picking up his option.
The 27-year-old is considered a likely architect of this iteration of the team, as it was he and Giannis Antetokounmpo who sat down for a dinner with Coach of the Year candidate Mike Budenholzer in the summer, when the team first evaluated the state of the franchise after finishing the season under interim coach Joe Prunty.
Middleton is among the hottest commodities at his position, considering he plays a perfect complement to Antetokounmpo as an athletic, versatile wing with a sharpshooting instinct.
The Texas A&M product took a step back from his career-best 2017-18 season, where he averaged 20.1 points per game, allowing for The Greek Freak to take over the offensive load and acting as a perimeter staple to help the star generate offense.
Middleton took a slight step back in the scoring departing (18.3 points per game), only to set career highs in rebounding (6.0) and assists (4.3), while helping guide the Bucks to the best mark in the NBA this past season with a league-leading 60 wins.
The Bucks will continue to make their pitch to Antetokounmpo by keeping the likes of Middleton and surrounding him with the best available talent, hoping he will stay in Milwaukee long term once he's set to become a free agent in 2021.
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