Bucks Would Be Crazy Not to Give Khris Middleton the Bag in Free Agency
By Sean Facey
Khris Middleton proved throughout the regular season and playoffs that he's deserving of a large contract when free agency came along. He's fully blossomed as a shooter, and combined with his versatility on defense, his game is the kind that most teams would absolutely kill to have.
The Milwaukee Bucks know what he's capable of, which is why they have every reason to hand Middleton a massive pay day as he heads into unrestricted free agency.
Milwaukee Bucks All-Star forward Khris Middleton is declining his $13M player option and will become an unrestricted free agent, his agent, Mike Lindeman of Excel Sports, tells ESPN. Middleton and Bucks are planning to work together toward a new long-term deal, sources said.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 19, 2019
Middleton, who has reportedly declined his $13 million player option for next season, averaged 18.1 points and and 4.3 assists per game this year for the Bucks while helping to space the floor with one of the best players in the NBA in Giannis Antetokounmpo thanks to a true shooting percentage of 55.8.
He's a 27-year-old All-Star that's nearing the top of his prime. As a prolific shooter that's equally integral to Milwaukee's defensive setup, he's worth big-time money in every respect.
That's not even mentioning the work he's done for the Bucks in the postseason. Over the past two playoffs, Middleton has averaged 19.4 points per game on 48.2% shooting overall, including an excellent 48.9% mark from downtown.
Khris Middleton opts out, reportedly plans to work with Bucks on new long-term deal. https://t.co/jgjruuRKCt pic.twitter.com/ORw9CbGZhR
— theScore (@theScore) June 19, 2019
This is top-tier player that can help Giannis run the show. Signing him at all costs is absolutely a no-brainer. Money should be no object in their pursuit of locking him up to a deal to keep him in Milwaukee for the foreseeable future.