For months, a good chunk of the Milwaukee Bucks fanbase has been fantasizing about a reunion with Khris Middleton if he were to be bought out. It's truly hard to fault them. With the small forward depth ravaged by injury and overall poor play, the Bucks needed a jolt from anyone. However, that was prior to the team landing Ousmane Dieng, the steal of trade season across the NBA.
Adding Middleton would only make it more difficult for Milwaukee's newcomer to spread his wings.
Bucks have their next small forward if they play their cards right
The Khris Middleton to Milwaukee talk has resurfaced in recent days with Marc Stein (subscription required) reporting that the Dallas Mavericks are leaving it up to Middleton whether he wants to be bought out or not. The current buyout market is dry, so Middleton would immediately be the most interesting name available for a stretch run.
Could Khris Middleton help this team? Absolutely. In his three games since being traded to Dallas, the forward is showing he can still produce, averaging 16 points, 4.8 rebounds, and three assists. On top of his statistical production, Middleton also being a small forward would help the Bucks, who have been using two guards and power forwards at the three for most of the season.
While that would all be useful, adding Middleton would only further bury Ousmane Dieng on the depth chart. Even without Middleton, Doc Rivers has been painfully underutilizing the forward despite Dieng making it clear that he can help this team when given the opportunity. Milwaukee needs to create an opening for Dieng, not further complicate his pathway to consistent rotational minutes.
Despite four years of NBA experience, Dieng doesn't have much to show for it after being buried on OKC's bench. He's still just 22 and has already shown undeniable glimpses in Milwaukee. With all of the success they have found through youth, such as Ryan Rollins, Cam Thomas, and Pete Nance, it would only make sense for them to see what Dieng can do in a bigger role as well.
Of course, even if the Milwaukee Bucks wanted Khris Middleton, there's no guarantee he'd want to come back to town anyway. If he left money on the table to depart Dallas, why would he sign with a team currently out of the postseason? It's far more likely that he'd look to sign with a team deep in the postseason hunt unless he simply misses Milwaukee that much.
Still, there's a chance he will express some interest. While Middleton could be a nice mentor for Ousmane Dieng, adding him could only further hinder the youngster's development.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.