After a stunning collapse in the first round of the NBA Playoffs to the Miami Heat, the Milwaukee Bucks have a lot of decisions to make this summer. The team with the best record in the league shockingly failed to live up to expectations, and change is imminent.
One of the most important choices the Bucks will have to make this offseason will be centered around Khris Middleton and the handling of his contract situation. Middleton will be entering the final season of the five-year contract he signed with Milwaukee in 2019 if he opts into his deal.
It is important to note that he has a player option for the upcoming season in 2023-24. If he were to decline his player option, he would become an unrestricted free agent and would be free to sign with any team in the association. With that being the case, there are a few teams that could sign Middleton away from the Bucks this summer.
These 3 teams could steal Khris Middleton from the Milwaukee Bucks
1. Houston Rockets
It is important to remember that any team looking to sign Khris Middleton this summer will need to have ample cap space free to do so. He will be earning a base salary north of $40 million next season, so any team taking him on will have to be certain they believe he is worth the price tag, even on an expiring contract.
With that said, one team that absolutely fits the bill would be the Houston Rockets. They will have the most cap space in the NBA this summer, with a projected $55 to $60 million on the table. On the surface, it may seem ridiculous for Middleton to take his talents from a championship-level team in Milwaukee to the bottom dwellers in Houston. But don’t be so sure.
With the Rockets reportedly being open to moving Jalen Green in favor of adding a star player, Middleton could be exactly what they are looking for. Add in rumors of James Harden having interest in potentially returning to Houston, and the stars could be aligning for the Rockets to make a run at signing Middleton in the near future.