Khris Middleton Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Injury Notes: Curry, Green, Johnson, Morant, Booker, Green, Gafford, Williams, Poole

December 11th, 2025 at 6:40pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Good news for the Warriors. Stephen Curry is no longer on the injury report, according to ESPN’s Anthony Slater (Twitter link). Curry hasn’t played since Nov. 26 due to a quad injury.

The future Hall of Famer will suit up against the Timberwolves on Friday but two Golden State frontcourt players won’t be available. Draymond Green will miss the game for personal reasons, while Al Horford continues to be sidelined by a nerve issue in his back.

Here’s more injury-related news:

The Wizards list four prominent players — Bilal Coulibaly, Corey Kispert, Alex Sarr and Khris Middleton — as out for their game against Cleveland on Friday (Twitter link). However, one key player isn’t on the injury report. Lottery pick Tre Johnson, who has been sidelined since Nov. 21 due to a hip flexor, is expected to suit up.
The Grizzlies list seven players as out for their against Utah on Friday. Star guard Ja Morant isn’t one of them. Morant is considered questionable to play. A right calf strain has sidelined him since Nov. 15.
Suns star guard Devin Booker will return either Sunday against the Lakers or next Thursday against the Warriors, according to Arizona radio host John Gambadoro (Twitter link). Booker hasn’t played since Dec. 1 due to a groin injury. Jalen Green, who has only played two games this season due to a hamstring strain, is tracking toward a return just after Christmas, Gambadoro adds.
The Mavericks list big man Daniel Gafford as doubtful to play against Brooklyn on Friday due to right ankle injury management, Grant Afseth of the Dallas Hoops Journal tweets.
The Trail Blazers’ Robert Williams (illness) and Yang Hansen (facial contusion) won’t play against New Orleans tonight, the team’s PR department tweets. Both players were originally listed as questionable.
Jordan Poole is available to play for the Pelicans tonight, the team’s PR department tweets. He has been out since Nov. 4 due to a left quad strain.

Trade Notes: Giannis, Rockets, Vucevic, Middleton

December 5th, 2025 at 2:25pm CST by Luke Adams

Discussing Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s potential trade value during the latest episode of The Hoop Collective podcast (YouTube link), ESPN’s Brian Windhorst expressed some skepticism that the Bucks would be able to extract a massive package of future draft picks for their star forward if he asks out of Milwaukee.

“What I’m telling you is when I talk to executives – and these executives are not in trade talks with the Bucks or another team for a star player right now – the mood in the NBA right now is not to give up four first-round picks for anybody,” Windhorst said (hat tip to RealGM). “… People don’t want to do that because the aprons have spooked so many teams.

“All these teams are worried about getting into apron trouble where they can’t reset their rosters, and you get into a situation like the Celtics were in where you’ve got to rip your team down. … This is how teams are thinking right now. They’re a little freaked out about the aprons. There ain’t going to be no five first-round pick trades. I know that we saw those for a while. That’s just not going to happen.”

Windhorst went on to offer a few caveats, clarifying that he’s specifically referring to stars in their 30s who are earning the largest possible maximum-salary contracts, worth 35% of the cap. He also acknowledged that it would only take one team going all-in to prove his sources wrong.

“I can hear somebody out there listening to this podcast saying, ‘What are you talking about? This is Giannis. Giannis will go for two star players and six firsts,'” Windhorst said. “Maybe that will happen. I am just telling you, I talk to the guys who make these trades every day, all day long. And the appetite is just different. Everybody is feeling a certain way. I could end up being wrong, I’m just reporting back.”

While many executives around the NBA may be apprehensive about surrendering a handful of unprotected first-round picks in any deal, I expect a number of them would still be willing to do so for a two-time MVP like Antetokounmpo, who isn’t that old (he’ll celebrate his 31st birthday on Saturday) and doesn’t have the sort of extensive injury history that someone like Anthony Davis does.

For what it’s worth, the most recent trade involving four first-rounders – including three unprotected picks – happened less than six months ago, when the Magic acquired Desmond Bane, a player who has never made an All-Star team.

Here are a few more trade-related notes from around the NBA:

The emergence of Amen Thompson and Reed Sheppard has made a trade to upgrade the backcourt a less pressing need, but if the Rockets have any reservations about Fred VanVleet‘s ability to return from an ACL tear and make an impact next season, they still may end up pursuing a deal by February 5, writes Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Substack link). Gozlan acknowledges that there’s no perfect match for the Rockets, since an ideal trade target like Derrick White would be difficult to acquire and lesser options like Collin Sexton or Dennis Schröder might not make enough of a difference to make a deal worthwhile.
With the Bulls sliding down the standings after a hot start to open the season, Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times argues that the front office ought to do right by Nikola Vucevic and trade the veteran center to a team closer to contention, giving him a chance to play in the postseason before he becomes an unrestricted free agent at season’s end.
Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link) spoke to veteran forward Khris Middleton about what it’s like to be traded as an NBA player. Middleton, who was dealt from the Bucks to the Wizards at last season’s deadline after spending over a decade in Milwaukee, admitted that it was a blow to his ego. “It was just a time to decompress, get my feelings out, reminisce, go through a whole bunch of thought processes and figure out what my life’s gonna be like now,” Middleton told Fischer. “When you get traded, it’s a huge confidence killer, especially if you’re not in control of it. You have to kinda talk yourself back up.”

Southeast Notes: Sarr, Wizards, Porzingis, Hornets

November 30th, 2025 at 1:02pm CST by Eli Cohen

Alex Sarr has shown impressive growth this season, but until the Wizards‘ game against the Hawks on Tuesday, he was mainly taking those steps forward during losses, writes Varun Shankar for the Washington Post. According to Shankar, Sarr has improved most significantly as a scorer around the rim. Meanwhile, the rim protection and passing that he displayed as a rookie have continued to grow in his sophomore season.

Most importantly, Sarr has been a positive on-court presence for the team, as evidenced by the fact that the Wizards are almost 13 points per 100 possessions better during his time on the floor.

While Sarr’s 2.0 blocks per game stand out, head coach Brian Keefe says the most impressive part of the second-year center’s rim protection isn’t captured by the box score, but rather in the moments when Sarr deters opponents from going up for the shot to begin with.

“I wish it happened more,” Sarr said.

Sarr was rewarded for his improved play with “MVP” chants from the Wizards’ faithful in a rare win for the team vs. Atlanta.

We have more from around the Southeast Division:

Khris Middleton and CJ McCollum‘s impact for the Wizards might not show up in the win column, but their presence has been important for a young team learning the NBA ropes, writes Candace Buckner for the Washington Post. Their leadership comes through in little ways, like McCollum taking the blame for a foul committed by second-year wing Kyshawn George. “I was just telling him: ‘That’s on me. I’m running out; I could’ve just stayed for you. So next time, I’ll stay, but we got to communicate collectively a little bit better,'” McCollum said. “There’s just little stuff like that, where it’s like, that’s his foul in the box score, but that was a mistake on my part that I could have corrected and prevented the whole situation.” Middleton spoke more about how he can help off the court: “I try to see what’s needed. I feel out the room, seeing guys’ reactions, emotions or whatever it may be and try to flip that. If it’s a negative thought, make it positive… It’s hard in this league, especially when you lose so many games in a row before you win a game, and then [next game] you lay an egg. That’s not what you want to see. That’s not how you get better as a group, so come in tomorrow, and we get to look at this film, and we get to look at ourselves.”
Kristaps Porzingis has been ruled out of the Hawks‘ game against the Sixers on Sunday, tweets Lauren J. Williams of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Porzingis will miss the game with the same illness that sidelined him for Friday’s contest against the Cavs. The big man has played in 12 of the team’s 20 games this season and is averaging 18.7 points and a career-high 3.3 assists per game, though he has struggled to find consistency with his outside shot.
LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller took a big step forward for the Hornets on Saturday as they played the second half of a back-to-back, a rarity for two players who have been affected by injuries during the past year. “Definitely another positive step for those two guys being able to play in a back-to-back,” coach Charles Lee said. “With that, though, comes me still being mindful of not pushing it too far as we enter that next tier of their return-to-play programs. I’m excited for them, I know they’ve been working really hard.” Those limitations reared their head as the team went to overtime and the star backcourt was collectively unavailable, having reached their minute limits. Lee says that determining Ball’s minute load is a constant dialogue and exercise in communication. “Credit Melo, credit Pat Chasse, our director of performance, and his whole staff for putting together a really comprehensive plan,” Lee said. “Lamar (Skeeter), from the coaching staff too. And those conversations are had beforehand so we’re not in the game with emotions and everything going on.”

Injury Notes: Mavs Bigs, Curry, Reaves, Coulibaly, Nets

November 6th, 2025 at 11:02pm CST by Eli Cohen

The Mavericks have been shorthanded in the frontcourt as of late, and that will likely continue for at least another game. According to Christian Clark of The Athletic (Twitter link), Anthony Davis is listed by the team as doubtful for Friday’s matchup against the Grizzlies, while Dereck Lively II will remain out for a sixth straight game.

Davis has missed the Mavs’ past three games after exiting the October 29 matchup against the Pacers in the first quarter. Prior to that, he was averaging 25.0 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 1.8 steals per night, though Dallas was off to a slow start, with a 1-3 record in the full games he played.

Lively has only played three games this season and averaged 5.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.0 assists. He’s averaging a career-low 17.0 minutes per contest in the early going, despite starting all three games.

The Mavs are currently tied for the worst record in the Western Conference at 2-6.

We have more news on injuries around the league:

Stephen Curry will miss the Warriors‘ NBA Cup opener on Friday against the Nuggets due to an illness sustained on the team’s recent road trip, reports Anthony Slater for ESPN. Slater writes that Curry began feeling symptomatic heading into the team’s matchup with the Suns on Tuesday, and admitted post-game that he felt drained in the second half. Curry will not travel with the team, but instead will stay in the Bay Area and prepare for Sunday’s game against the Pacers. Draymond Green, who has a rib contusion, is listed as probable, while Jimmy Butler is questionable due to a lower back strain. Kerr said that both players are hopeful to suit up against Denver after sitting out Wednesday in Sacramento.
Lakers‘ coach JJ Redick says that Austin Reaves is “TBD” for the team’s next game on Saturday against the Hawks, reports Dave McMenamin (via Twitter). The club is being cautious as Reaves looks to return from a groin injury. McMenamin notes that Reaves tested the injury prior to Wednesday’s contest with the Spurs, but the medical staff ultimately decided to keep him sidelined.
Wizards‘ third-year wing Bilal Coulibaly is listed as out for Friday’s game against the Cavs, notes Josh Robbins of The Athletic. Coulibaly, who missed the team’s first four games while recovering from thumb surgery, exited the contest on Wednesday with lower left leg tightness. Robbins adds that Khris Middleton is available to play after missing the previous two games.
The Nets will be missing Cam Thomas against the Pistons on Friday after he suffered a left hamstring injury, writes Brian Lewis of the New York Post (Twitter link). Rookies Nolan Traore, Ben Saraf, and Danny Wolf are also out while on assignment with the team’s G League affiliate, though Drake Powell has been upgraded to questionable from his ankle injury. Terance Mann, who is dealing with left shoulder soreness, is probable to play.

Injury Notes: Smith, Harris, Lively, Middleton, Collier

November 3rd, 2025 at 7:47pm CST by Rory Maher

Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. sustained a sprained right ankle in Saturday’s win at Boston and was ruled out for Monday’s game against Dallas, tweets Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle. Tari Eason, who will be a restricted free agent next summer, started in Smith’s place.

Head coach Ime Udoka is optimistic that Smith will return for Wednesday’s game in Memphis, Lerner adds.

Smith, the third overall pick in the 2022 draft, signed a five-year, $122MM rookie scale extension with Houston in July. The new deal kicks in next season.

Here are a few more injury-related notes from around the NBA:

Pistons forward Tobias Harris is also dealing with a right ankle sprain and missed Monday’s contest at Memphis, per Hunter Patterson of The Athletic (Twitter link). Big man Isaiah Stewart got the starting nod at power forward with Harris out, notes Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (via Twitter). Harris, 33, is on an expiring $26.6MM contract and will be an unrestricted free agent in the offseason.
Third-year center Dereck Lively II missed his fourth straight game on Monday in Houston. He will have his right knee reevaluated when the Mavericks return to Dallas, head coach Jason Kidd told reporters (Twitter link via Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News). After having his fourth-year option exercised, Lively will be eligible for a rookie scale extension next offseason.
Veteran forward Khris Middleton missed his first game of the season on Monday against New York, the Wizards announced (Twitter link). Middleton, who was initially listed as questionable before being ruled out, is battling a left elbow contusion. The three-time All-Star is earning $33.3MM this season and will be a free agent in 2026.
Isaiah Collier is active on Monday for the first time this season after battling a right hamstring strain, tweets Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune. However, Jazz head coach Will Hardy suggested prior to the game that he wasn’t sure whether or not the second-year point guard would actually play against the Celtics. The Jazz picked up their third-year option on Collier last week, locking in his $2,763,960 salary for 2026/27.

Central Notes: Pistons, Thompson, Giannis, Middleton, Jones

October 21st, 2025 at 8:58am CST by Luke Adams

Having not agreed to terms with center Jalen Duren or guard Jaden Ivey ahead of Monday’s deadline for rookie scale extensions, the Pistons now have an eventful offseason on tap for 2026, writes Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (subscription required).

As Sankofa notes, besides entering restricted free agency with Duren and Ivey, Detroit will also have to deal with Tobias Harris‘ unrestricted free agency — the veteran forward won’t become extension-eligible prior to reaching the open market. Additionally, 2023 lottery pick Ausar Thompson will become eligible for a rookie scale extension with his own next July, so the team may be negotiating with him at the same time as it tries to resolve Duren’s and Ivey’s contract situations.

While Duren and Ivey should do very well for themselves in free agency if they have strong seasons in 2025/26, Thompson has the tools to earn the most lucrative contract of the trio if he has a breakout year after a healthy offseason. Teammate Cade Cunningham is confident about Thompson’s chances to have a big third season, as Hunter Patterson of The Athletic details.

“Ausar had a great summer,” Cunningham said in September. “I think he’s really going to make a lot of noise this year. He’s going to wake a lot of people up in a loud way.”

“I don’t think about (having a breakout season), but if my mentality is where I want it to be every single game, then I should be able to do that,” Thompson said.

We have more from around the Central Division:

In a separate story for The Detroit Free Press (subscription required), Sankofa takes a closer look at what the Pistons‘ rotation will look like without Ivey to open the season, exploring whether two-way player Daniss Jenkins has a chance to earn regular minutes and considering whether spacing or power forward depth will be an issue for the team.
Speaking about how important his legacy is to him, Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo said he’s solely focused on winning rather than “stats” and that he doesn’t consider himself to be in the same tier as all-time NBA greats like Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Wilt Chamberlain, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar — at least not yet. “That’s the goal,” Antetokounmpo said, per Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. “I’m not there yet. They’re like top 10 all-time. I’ve got a lot of work to do. But I’m going to be there.”
Wizards forward Khris Middleton will be returning to Milwaukee on Wednesday for the first time as an opponent since the Bucks traded him at last season’s deadline. As Bijan Todd of Monumental Sports Network relays (via Twitter), Middleton expects it to be an “emotional” night. Antetokounmpo, Middleton’s longtime teammate, echoed that sentiment. “I think the most important thing, he should get the warmest welcome ever,” Giannis said (Twitter link via Eric Nehm of The Athletic). “When he comes here and he sees the tribute video, he should be in tears crying before the game. I cannot explain how much Khris means to this team. I cannot explain how much Khris means to me. … That’s my brother for life. We’ve done incredible things together, so I cannot wait to see him tear up on Wednesday.”
Noe Padilla and Ryan Murphy of The Indianapolis Star share some additional details on Kam Jones‘ Monday arrest, writing that the rookie guard told police he was “running late for practice for the Indiana Pacers” when he was pulled over for erratic driving. Jones, who allegedly didn’t comply for several minutes when police tried to stop him, said that he didn’t realize right away that he was being pulled over.

Southeast Notes: Kalkbrenner, Miller, Jovic, Middleton

October 4th, 2025 at 1:35pm CST by Dana Gauruder

There’s competition for the center spot on the Hornets’ roster and rookie second-rounder Ryan Kalkbrenner is making a strong bid to be part of the rotation, writes Rod Boone of the Charlotte Observer (subscription required).

The 34th pick of the draft is a seasoned Big East veteran out of Creighton and he’s making a strong impression during training camp.

“His basketball IQ stands out to me, his competitiveness stands out to me and I think his willingness to keep it simple stands out to me,” coach Charles Lee said. “I think that he’s in the right positions a lot of times because he’s willing to do whatever it takes to kind of help his teammates defensively and offensively. And so he’s been phenomenal — as have all the rookies. But he’s stood out.”

Kalkbrenner has been encouraged by the atmosphere during the first week of camp.

“It’s been great,” Kalkbrenner said. “I was thinking about this as we were wrapping up practice. As you go through this draft process, you don’t know what team you’re going to end up with, how the guys are going to be. And I couldn’t be happier with the group I’m with. Come in every day — I don’t always know what I’m doing, but they’ve been so helpful in helping me get better and improve. And I’m feeling much more comfortable because of that. So, it’s been great.”

We have more from the Southeast Division:

Hornets forward Brandon Miller missed a good chunk of last season due to a wrist injury. Miller, still just 22 and entering his third season, can not only be a future All-Star but a legacy player, in executive VP of basketball operations Jeff Peterson‘s estimation. “I don’t want to put a cap or a ceiling on him because Brandon can be as good as he wants to be. He can be a Hall of Famer,” Peterson said, per Langston Wertz Jr. of the Charlotte Observer. “And he knows the expectations on him this season. More importantly, he has those same expectations for himself.”
Heat forward Nikola Jovic has appeared in exactly 46 games in each of the last two seasons. Jovic also missed most of his rookie season with a back injury. He has dealt with hamstring, ankle, hand and nasal injuries the past two seasons but Jovic, who signed a four-year extension this week, disputes the notion he’s injury-prone, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes. “I broke my foot [when I] stepped on someone,” he said. “I broke my nose [when] someone elbowed me. I broke my hand because someone hit my hand. What was I supposed to do? If someone hits you, I can’t talk to my bone and tell it to not break. Hopefully, I’m preparing my body for the whole season and play as many games as I can.”
Wizards wing Khris Middleton is an anomaly on a roster filled with young players trying to prove their worth. That makes him an essential piece — a veteran those players can lean on for advice and guidance, according to Josh Robbins of The Athletic. “These guys are eager to play, and that’s what basketball players want to be around, people that are energetic, happy about playing basketball, being around basketball,” Middleton said. “That’s what I love about this group. They’re all young. They’re all learning. I just want to help guide them on their way. I don’t want to necessarily overstep and try to be the ‘super vet.’ I want to give them room and a path to let them grow and find their own journey, like my own vets did with me.”

Southeast Notes: D. Smith, Heat, Wizards, Djurisic

July 29th, 2025 at 12:46pm CST by Luke Adams

While Dru Smith had been considered the favorite to claim the Heat‘s final two-way slot, that can’t actually happen, notes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald, since a CBA rule prohibits a player from being on a two-way contract with the same team for four seasons.

Smith hasn’t spent the entirety of the past three years on two-way deals with Miami, but he has been on a two-way contract for at least part of each of the past three seasons since 2022/23, making him ineligible to do so again in ’25/26.

The Heat did tender Smith a qualifying offer in June, but that offer is for a one-year, minimum-salary contract with a small partial guarantee (approximately $102K), rather than another two-way deal. Miami has just 14 players on standard contracts for now, so Smith could be the club’s 15th man, but team salary is already over the luxury tax threshold, so it’s unclear whether or not the front office plans to carry a full 15-man roster into the regular season.

Meanwhile, there’s still a two-way spot open on the Heat’s roster alongside Vladislav Goldin and Myron Gardner.

Here’s more from around the Southeast:

It hasn’t been an especially eventful offseason for the Heat — they’ve made modest additions like Norman Powell, Kasparas Jakucionis, and Simone Fontecchio, but will bring back a roster pretty similar to last year’s group. With that in mind, Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel suggests that internal improvement represents Miami’s best hope of taking a step forward and identifies Andrew Wiggins, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Terry Rozier, and Nikola Jovic as a few of the top candidates to give the team more in 2025/26 than they did in ’24/25.
Khris Middleton and CJ McCollum are the only two players on the Wizards‘ roster who are older than 26 or earning more than $14MM in 2025/26, according to Varun Shankar of The Washington Post, who says the front office views the two veterans as positive influences and potential role models for the team’s younger players. Acquiring Middleton and McCollum also put Washington in position to create significant 2026 cap room, since both players are on expiring deals.
Nikola Djurisic, a 2024 second-round pick who signed his first NBA contract earlier this month with the Hawks, was left off Serbia’s roster for the upcoming EuroBasket tournament. As Kevin Chouinard of Hawks.com relays (via Twitter), Serbian head coach Svetislav Pesic referred to the 21-year-old forward as part of “the future of Serbian basketball” in explaining that decision. “There was a thought to include him (on the roster) as well, but we have a lot of experienced players in that position,” Pesic said. “Let him take a break from everything now. He spent a whole year in America.”

Wizards Notes: Whitmore, Gill, Centers, Outlaw

July 5th, 2025 at 7:16pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Wizards‘ acquisition of Cam Whitmore from the Rockets will be folded into a four-player trade with the Pelicans that was reported last month, a source tells Varun Shankar of The Washington Post (subscriber link). That deal sends Jordan Poole, Saddiq Bey and the 40th pick in this year’s draft (Micah Peavy) to New Orleans in exchange for CJ McCollum, Kelly Olynyk and a future second-round selection.

Combining the two trades into one will allow the Wizards to acquire Whitmore without using a separate trade exception or a portion of their mid-level or bi-annual exception.

Houston is trading Whitmore to a rebuilding team to give him a shot at increased playing time, but Shankar points out that it might be just as difficult for Whitmore to get on the court in Washington as it was during his two seasons with the Rockets. He views Bilal Coulibaly, Alex Sarr, Bub Carrington, Kyshawn George and lottery pick Tre Johnson as locks to be in the rotation.

Whitmore will have to compete with young prospects Will Riley, AJ Johnson, Justin Champagnie and Dillon Jones, along with McCollum and fellow veterans Khris Middleton, Marcus Smart, Corey Kispert and Richaun Holmes.

Shankar also points out that Whitmore and Coulibaly were part of the same draft class in 2023, which means they’ll both be eligible for rookie scale extensions next summer.

There’s more from Washington:

The Wizards waived Anthony Gill last weekend to avoid paying his $2.5MM salary for the upcoming season, but he’s likely to be brought back as the team’s 15th man, Josh Robbins of The Athletic states in a mailbag column. A new deal will be a win for both sides, Robbins explains, as the 32-year-old forward will earn about $121K more on a veteran’s minimum contract and the league’s reimbursement policy will cause Gill to have a smaller salary cap hit. Washington has a minor roster crunch as a result of its moves so far, so the team would have to make additional trades or cuts to make room on the regular season roster for Gill.
The Wizards aren’t likely to pursue another center to join Sarr, Olynyk and Holmes, Robbins states in the same piece. Even though Washington ranked near the bottom of the league in defensive rebounding percentage, Robbins notes that there’s not a strong incentive to win this season because the team’s first-round draft pick will convey to New York if it falls out of the top eight. Robbins adds that the Wizards didn’t try to sign any big men when free agency began, and he doesn’t expect that stance to change unless Olynyk or Holmes gets traded.
Assistant J.J. Outlaw will serve as the Wizards’ Summer League coach, team sources tell Robbins (Twitter link). Outlaw joined Brian Keefe’s coaching staff last July after five seasons in Cleveland.

Wizards’ Khris Middleton Opts In For 2025/26

June 23rd, 2025 at 2:08pm CST by Luke Adams

Wizards forward Khris Middleton has exercised his player option for the 2025/26 season, postponing his free agency until next summer, sources tell ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link).

Middleton, who will turn 34 in August, was always expected to take this route, since his option will pay him $33,345,679 next season. That’s significantly more than he would’ve earned next season if he had opted for free agency, given his health issues in recent years.

A three-time All-Star between 2019 and 2022 and a key member of the Bucks team that won a title in 2021, Middleton has been slowed by wrist, knee, and ankle injuries over the past three seasons, having appeared in just 125 total regular season games since the fall of 2022. He has averaged 14.1 points, 4.8 assists, and 4.3 rebounds in 25.0 minutes per game with a .472/.356/.863 shooting line during that stretch.

Middleton showed during the 2023 and 2024 playoffs that he can still be dangerous when he’s at full health, having averaged 24.3 PPG, 7.9 RPG, and 5.4 APG on .475/.381/.883 shooting in 11 games across those two brief postseason runs. However, his inability to stay healthy and perform at that level consistently – combined with his sizable contract – prompted the Bucks to trade him to Washington at the 2025 trade deadline in February.

While Middleton is a Wizard for now, the odds are probably against him spending the full 2025/26 season in D.C. with a rebuilding team. His big expiring contract could come in handy for salary-matching purposes in a trade, either this summer or during the season, if Washington hangs onto him into the fall in the hopes of rebuilding his value. If the forward has another down year and is still on the Wizards’ roster after the trade deadline, a buyout could be in play at that point.

Even with Middleton’s $33MM+ salary locked in, the Wizards project to operate comfortably below the luxury tax line this season.