Report: Bucks' Khris Middleton Had Surgery on Knee Injury; Expected to Fully Recover

Facing a big contract decision this offseason, Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton is recovering from a minor knee surgery he had after the team's first-round playoff loss.

Per The Athletic's Shams Charania and Eric Nehm, Middleton is expected to make a full recovery from the "minor arthroscopic procedure, and he should be back on the court in July."

Charania and Nehm noted Middleton's procedure, described as a "clean-up" operation, was planned and scheduled before the Bucks' season ended.

Middleton has a $40.4 million player option on his contract for the 2023-24 season.

Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports reported earlier this week there is a "growing sense among league executives" that Middleton will remain with the Bucks on a long-term agreement.

According to Fischer, Middleton sat in on meetings with Bucks officials when they were interviewing finalists for their head-coaching position before Adrian Griffin was hired.

Middleton has had a series of knee issues dating back to last season. He sprained the MCL in his left knee in Game 2 of their 2022 first-round series against the Chicago Bulls that kept him out for the remainder of the playoffs. The Bucks were eliminated in seven games by the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

Offseason wrist surgery kept Middleton out for the first 20 games this season. The three-time All-Star appeared in seven of the next eight games before being shut down for five weeks with right knee soreness.

Middleton aggravated his knee injury early in Milwaukee's 105-92 win over the Bulls on April 5. He sat out the final two regular-season games before returning in the playoffs.

In five games against the Miami Heat, Middleton was one of the few Bucks players who fared well. He averaged 23.8 points on 46.5 percent shooting (40.6 percent from three-point range), 6.4 rebounds and 6.2 assists, but Milwaukee was upset by the No. 8-seeded Heat.

The injury issues this season limited Middleton to 33 appearances during the regular season. His 24.3 minutes per game was his lowest average since he was a rookie with the Detroit Pistons in 2012-13 (17.6).