The Milwaukee Bucks doubled down on their 2021 championship formula and re-signed Khris Middleton to a 3-year, $102 million contract with a player option on the 2025-26 season. They also just brought back Brook Lopez on a 2-year deal for $48 million. What does this mean for Milwaukee's future?

The Bucks are right in the middle of 2x league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo's prime. He's 28, and his championship window is now.

The supporting cast of Middleton, Lopez, and Jrue Holiday solidifies the Bucks as contenders for at least the next two years. However, it's imperative they deliver at least one title in that time frame.

After the 2025 postseason, Holiday becomes an unrestricted free agent. Lopez's contract ends. Middleton and Antetokounmpo will have the choice to accept player options or walk away. If Milwaukee falters over the next two seasons, there's an outside chance the Bucks lose all four of these guys, though most people believe Giannis is a Buck for life (Holiday also has a player option for the 2024-25 season, so he could potentially be gone after this season.)

Khris Middleton Contract Grade: A

Yes, the Bucks are under a lot of immediate pressure to get some more hardware. But let's take a deep breath: this team is built as well as any in the league.

Giannis is the best player in the world, and he's maintaining the great pieces around him. Bringing back Middleton was necessary. He's Giannis' running mate and an excellent wing player in his own right.

In the 2019-20 season, Middleton averaged 21, 6 and 4 and missed joining the NBA's exclusive 50/40/90 club by five missed field goals.

The following year, he was instrumental in the Bucks' championship run. He averaged 24, 6 and 5 in the Finals on 45/36/89 shooting splits.

Then, in the 2022 playoffs, Middleton unfortunately sprained his MCL and missed the remainder of the season. That blow ultimately derailed Milwaukee's repeat championship aspirations.

He also had wrist surgery last summer and missed the start to the 2022-23 season. Due to injury trouble, Middleton only played 33 games last season. The lack of a rhythm and shortened minutes caused his production to dip as well.

Middleton's injury history and the fact that he's looking at the back end of his career are the only reasons this isn't an A+ move.

Still, Middleton is 31, so he does have plenty left in the tank. At $34 million per year, the Bucks are retaining an All-Star caliber player well below a max salary and keeping together a formula that's proven to be enough to win in the NBA.

Bucks championship formula:

Step 1: Get a superstar. Milwaukee has theirs in Giannis. He's the best and most dominant player on both ends of the floor. His greatness overshadows his weaknesses like his inconsistent shooting, and he proved he has what it takes to summit the mountaintop. His 50-point showing in Game 6 of the 2021 NBA Finals propelled the Bucks to their first championship in 50 years, and it was his self-declaration as the king of the NBA (sorry LeBron).

Step 2: You need a second star/wing scorer. Khris Middleton provides the perimeter scoring that Giannis can't always give his team. He's a true three-level scorer, he can create his own shot, and he does it all efficiently without needing the ball in his hands.

Step 3: Point guard/facilitator. Scoring the rock is job one in the NBA, but we've seen teams lean into this and not always get the right results. The Clippers doubled down on long, athletic wing scorers with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. Celtics did the same with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, but both teams keep coming up short.

The problem with those teams is the offense gets stagnant in the half court when things tense up in the playoffs. Too many Celtics possessions are 20 seconds of isolation dribbling followed by a low percentage three.

Jrue Holiday is a true point guard. He was the missing piece for the Bucks, and he averaged nearly 9 assists per game in his first postseason in Milwaukee, which ended in a title. Bonus: he's one of the best defenders in the NBA.

This step is also why the Suns won't win a title with Bradley Beal, Devin Booker and Kevin Durant. Check back here in 12 months.

Step 4: X-Factor. Brook Lopez's fit on this team is perfect. Giannis needs space in the paint to dominate with his size and athleticism, so traditional bigs don't work well with him. Lopez is a stretch 5 who can hit the three at a strong clip for a center, and Giannis has so much gravity in the paint, Lopez often finds himself wide open on the perimeter. He's also an elite shot blocker and finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting last year.

Step 5: Shooting: Holiday and Middleton both shoot the rock very well from the outside, so among primary ball handlers, they're set on shooting. It's not 100% clear which role players will fill out the Bucks 2023-24 roster yet. They did lose sharpshooter Joe Ingles, but they still have Grayson Allen and Pat Connaughton, who has flirted with a 40% clip from three in the past.

As much as the NBA has become a three-point shooting league, the Lakers proved you can win a ring without marksmen. They ranked 21st in the NBA in 3P% in their 2020 title run.

In any case, the Bucks will have a couple of reliable shooters and will likely add more before the start of the season.

With the Khris Middleton signing, Milwaukee should still be the title favorites for the 2023-24 season, especially with Middleton and Anteokounmpo having the full offseason to get healthy and rest.

Grade: A