NBA: Khris Middleton remains with Bucks on 3-year, $102 million deal

July 1, 2023 Times Europe

Khris Middleton #22 of the Milwaukee Bucks shoots against Isaiah Livers #12 of the Detroit Pistons during the third quarter at Little Caesars Arena on March 27, 2023 in Detroit, Michigan. Nic Antaya/Getty Images/AFP

MILWAUKEE — Three-time All-Star Khris Middleton has agreed to terms on a three-year, $102 million deal that will keep him with the Milwaukee Bucks, a person familiar with the situation said Friday.

The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the signing hasn’t been announced.

This move comes after Middleton, who turns 32 on Aug. 12, had declined a $40.4 million player option for the upcoming season to become a free agent.

“Khris is core to who we are and really all the success we’ve had,” Bucks general manager Jon Horst had said last week during a post-draft news conference. “Our goal is always to sustain our success and continue to compete and (have) a chance to win and be in position to win year in and year out. We hope to have him back.”

The Bucks were hoping to hold on to Middleton and free-agent center Brook Lopez as part of their nucleus alongside two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and All-Star guard Jrue Holiday as they attempt to bounce back from two straight early playoff exits.

Middleton joined the Bucks in 2013 – the same year Milwaukee drafted Antetokounmpo – and they have teamed to give the franchise one of its greatest sustained runs of success. The 2012 second-round pick made All-Star teams in 2019, 2020 and 2022.

“Giannis is arguably the best player in the world, but we have some extraordinary talent on this team as well,” new Bucks coach Adrian Griffin said during his introductory press conference. “Khris, Jrue, Brook – those guys are probably No. 1s on any other team, so I’m excited to just be a part of this team and this culture, and I’m excited to coach them all.”

Middleton helped the 2020-21 Bucks win their first title in half a century and earned a gold medal on the U.S. Olympic team shortly after the NBA Finals.

But he has been dealing with multiple injuries lately.

Middleton sprained his left medial collateral ligament in Game 2 of a 2022 first-round playoff series and missed the rest of the postseason. He played just 33 games last season while averaging 15.1 points, 4.9 assists and 4.2 rebounds.

He missed the first 20 games of the season while recovering from wrist surgery and sat out 18 straight games later in the season due to a sore right knee.

Milwaukee posted the NBA’s best regular-season record this past season but suffered a stunning 4-1 first-round playoff loss to the Miami Heat. That led to the firing of coach Mike Budenholzer, who helped Milwaukee post the NBA’s best regular-season record three of the last five years.