“Both of those guys specifically are core to who we have been”- Bucks GM Jon Horst is hopeful that Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez will return

Keeping these two All-Stars is a priority for the Bucks.

© Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Milwaukee general manager Jon Horst said the team is keen on keeping Middleton and Lopez, two of the eight Bucks players who have become free agents.

Middleton hit the free agent market after he declined his $40 million player option.

Opting out was an opportunity for Khris

Opting out of his final year is something that Middleton deserves, Horst said.

“He had the ability to decline his option and the opportunity to eventually become a free agent if he chooses. So he's earned that opportunity,” Horst told reporters after last Thursday’s NBA Draft.

Horst refused to answer when asked how optimistic he is that the Bucks can keep the two. Instead, Horst described Lopez and Lopez as a core part of the team.

“I can't comment, I wouldn’t comment on any optimism. I just again…both of those guys specifically are core to who we have been, and we're hopeful that we can have them back,” said Horst.

Horst said talks will continue as the Bucks bid to bring back the duo, “but ultimately what matters is we're hopeful to have them back.”

Core members of Milwaukee

“They're both technically extension eligible. So there's things we can talk about now and things that we can’t. If we don't extend them, they’ll become free agents,” he said.

Lopez was a big part of the Bucks stellar run in the regular season that saw the Bucks finish with an NBA-best 58-24 record.

The sweet-shooting center started in all 78 games that he played and averaged 15.9 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.5 steals, and 2.5 blocks.

Middleton was saddled with injuries the past season, but he was highly effective in the 33 regular season games that he played. The three-time All-Star averaged 15.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 0.7 steals, and 0.2 blocks in 24.3 minutes of play per night.

Middleton’s minutes per game increased to 34.6 in the playoffs, and his production also went up, ending the postseason with averages of 23.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 6.2 assists.

Those solid numbers went for naught as the Bucks suffered a shocking first-round playoff to the eventual losing finalists Miami Heat.