Grading Khris Middleton’s lucrative new deal with the Milwaukee Bucks

Khris Middleton’s fit and role with the Milwaukee Bucks

This section should be pretty easy to understand. Over the last several years, Khris Middleton has been Milwaukee’s second-best player next to Giannis Antetokounmpo. He and Antetokounmpo’s partnership over the years has produced great results, especially in 2021, and a major reason for that is how well they fit together; they’re a lethal one-two punch. Middleton will continue to be that second fiddle for the Milwaukee Bucks next to one of the best players in the game today.

As for his role, Middleton will likely be looking for a little more stability next season than what he dealt with this past year. Of course, the forward was hindered by a string of injuries that forced a big chunk of his season to be spent on the sidelines. When he did play, he was often under a tight minutes restriction and even came off of the bench for a while. With Middleton having undergone a procedure this off-season to clean up his nagging knee, hopefully he’ll be all good from the jump next season and reclaim his starting spot full-time.

If healthy, Middleton could very well get back to his All-Star form next season. It’s a small sample size, but the forward looked good toward the end of the season, especially in Milwaukee’s playoff run, where he averaged 23.8 points and 6.2 assists per game. With a full off-season under his belt to ensure he’s back up to speed, Middleton should come into next season hungry. The Bucks can’t win a championship without him, so hopefully he’s the old Middleton once again next season.