Woj: Khris Middleton, Bucks Have 'Good Opportunity' for New Contract After Opt-Out

After Khris Middleton declined his $40.4 million player option to become an unrestricted free agent, it appeared his time with the Milwaukee Bucks could be coming to an end.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Thursday's broadcast of the 2023 NBA draft that a reunion between the Bucks and Middleton shouldn't be ruled out despite him being set to hit the free-agent market.

"I think there's still a very good opportunity for the Bucks and Middleton to get together on a new contract this offseason," Wojnarowski said.

After spending his rookie year with the Detroit Pistons in 2012-13, Middleton has been a staple in Milwaukee for the last 10 seasons. Along with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jrue Holiday, he's a member of the core that led the Bucks to the NBA championship in 2021, which was their first title in 50 years.

However, Middleton has been slowed by injuries since the 2022 playoffs when he suffered a sprained MCL that forced him to miss a majority of Milwaukee's postseason games that year. He missed the first 20 games of this season while recovering from offseason wrist surgery, and he missed another chunk of games after experiencing right knee soreness after his return.

In all, Middleton played in just 33 games and averaged 15.1 points, 4.2 rebounds and 4.9 assists. It was his first time averaging less than 20 points in a season since 2018-19. However, he looked like his old self in Milwaukee's first-round series against the Miami Heat, averaging 23.8 points, 6.4 rebounds and 6.2 assists before the Bucks fell in five games.

After Milwaukee's elimination, Middleton underwent successful surgery to address his lingering knee issue.

When healthy, the 32-year-old can still be a consistent contributor, so it would be wise for Milwaukee to try to hold on to him after this year's disappointing playoff exit.