Bucks Zone

Khris Middleton declines his player option and becomes an unrestricted free agent

Pundits believe Khris Middleton will return to the Milwaukee Bucks.

Matthew Dugandzic

© Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
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Milwaukee Bucks gunner Khris Middleton was reported to have declined his player option for next season.

By declining his player option worth $40.4 million, the All-Star forward became an unrestricted free agent, a report by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said.

Will Khris stay?

Although the three-time All-Star declined his player option, observers believe that he will still return to the Bucks. Opting out will allow Middleton to secure a long-term deal with the Bucks.

Middleton was selected by the Detroit Pistons as the 39th overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. He was traded to the Bucks on July 13, 2013, in exchange for Brandon Jennings.

On July 9, 2015, the six-foot-seven forward re-signed with the Bucks to a five-year, $70-million contract with a player option for the fifth year.

Injury woes

A member of the Bucks for the past 10 seasons, Middleton has been hounded by injuries in the past two years.

Middleton, who will turn 32 in August, missed Milwaukee’s final 10 playoff games in 2022 after suffering a sprained MCL. He underwent left wrist surgery during last year's offseason, which caused him to miss the first 20 games of the 2022-23 season.

Middleton returned on Dec. 2, 2022, but after playing six games, he sat out the next 18 due to right knee soreness.

Middleton played a total of 33 regular-season games the past season and averaged 15.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 0.7 steals, and 0.2 blocks.

Middleton’s production increased in the playoffs primarily because Giannis Antetokounmpo missed two games in the Bucks’ first-round series with the Miami Heat due to a back injury. The wingman averaged 23.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 6.2 assists in the postseason, and showed he still has gas left in the tank.

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Matthew Dugandzic
MATTHEW DUGANDZIC

Matthew finished his bachelor's degree in Economics (Management) at the University of Split and got his master's degree in the same field at the University of Zadar. Whether it is playing the game as an undersized 6'3'' power forward or simply watching it, Matthew can't get enough of it. After all, he has been an avid NBA fan since the 2000s. But don't get him wrong, as Matthew still loves the old-school NBA and is a true student of the game. From on-court moments to off-court stuff, whether it's about the stars of modern-day basketball or legends of the game, Matthew covers every category of the NBA world and basketball in general, as long as it makes for an engaging and exciting story.