Khris Middleton Injury Status For Bucks vs Grizzlies

Will the former three-time All-Star small forward suit up?

Dec 15, 2022; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton (22) dribbles as Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) defends during the second half at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images / Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Will former three-time Milwaukee Bucks All-Star small forward Khris Middleton suit up for his club's tilt with the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday?

Per the league's latest injury report, the 6-foot-7 wing out of Texas A&M is considered probable to play. Milwaukee has been carefully monitoring his recovery from a pair of ankle surgeries during the offseason.

Eric Nehm of The Athletic supplies the latest injury news:

Per Bucks, these guys are all probable tonight:

G. Antetokounmpo (right patella tendinopathy)
D. Lillard (left groin soreness)
B. Lopez (back soreness)
K. Middleton (bilateral ankle injury management)
T. Prince (right patella tendinopathy)
G. Trent Jr. (left hip flexor soreness) https://t.co/il4DTnM2Nq

— Eric Nehm (@eric_nehm) February 2, 2025

Present-day Bucks All-Stars Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo — both of whom were named to their ninth All-Star teams last month — are both also considered probable to suit up.

More Bucks: Giannis Antetokounmpo Injury Status for Bucks vs Grizzlies

Middleton has had a disappointing start to his 2024-25 run with the Bucks, so much so that he has been frequently floated in trade rumors. Yes, he had been keep on a restrictive minutes limit during his first games back and was initially coming off the bench.

But after Milwaukee head coach Doc Rivers reinserted Middleton into the starting lineup, he didn't like the oft-hurt 33-year-old's defense, and quickly returned him to a sixth man role behind veteran's minimum signing Taurean Price, signed this summer to be Middleton's backup.

More Bucks: Milwaukee Could Reunite with Former Forward Following Trade Deadline

This year, Middleton is averaging a lackluster 12.3 points on .502/.383/.841 shooting splits, 4.5 assists, 3.8 rebounds, and 0.7 steals across his 22 healthy contests so far (seven starts) in 23.1 minutes per. Yes, his per-36 minute scoring numbers are pretty much in line with what they were during his All-Star prime, but the athletic decline has been noticeable, and is the reason he is no longer playing starters' minutes this year.

Considering that he is earning $31.7 million this year, that kind of output has quickly made his contract look rough. He has a player option for $34 million in 2025-26, an amount he seems unlikely to make on the open market this summer should he decline it and explore free agency. Yes, it's possible Middleton opts to sign a long-term deal for less money to guarantee some long-term security as he ages, but one wonders if he'd even be able to recoup that much money across a three-year deal at his current level of play.

The Fiserv Forum clash tips off at 7:30 p.m. CT.

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