Former Bucks' All-Star trade target crushes crucial notion about Khris Middleton

For years, the general consensus has felt like the Milwaukee Bucks would not trade Khris Middleton as long as Giannis Antetokounmpo is in town.

The pair have grown together and blossomed into stars, having led this franchise out of mediocrity to championship contention - and victory. While it's always felt inevitable that they would both end their careers as Milwaukee Bucks, a former Bucks trade target reveals that almost didn't happen.

Recently appearing on Run Your Race/@Tidalleague, Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal talked about the process of being traded last summer, where the Bucks were one of the teams looking to get him, and how Milwaukee dangled Middleton in those talks.

"They were trading [Middleton], but "Middy" had a player option. So, he has to opt in to get traded. I don't know many people going to opt in to willingly get traded to D.C."

Essentially, before signing him to a new deal last summer, the Milwaukee Bucks toyed with the idea of trading Middleton for Beal, which would have certainly altered the current state of the team. However, had the Bucks genuinely pushed that, Middleton could have opted out of his deal and been unable to be traded, so this was almost certainly never going to happen.

Could the Bucks dangle Middleton in trade talks?

Previously, it felt like Middleton was off the table completely in trade talks. At the time, Beal was one of the hottest names on the trade market, so it made sense for Milwaukee to kick the tires. That same mindset led to the Damian Lillard trade later that summer. Many may argue that was the better play for the Bucks than trading Middleton for Beal.

If another star becomes available overnight, could the Milwaukee Bucks entertain trading Middleton? It seems possible. Making $31.7 million this coming season, the forward does have a massive salary that could be useful in luring in a big fish. With the second apron rules limiting the Bucks in trades, the only way they could pull off a deal for someone making more than $25 million is by trading Middleton.

For now, the Bucks are likely content with keeping Middleton on the payroll. While he's been banged up consistently over the past few years, he showed in these past NBA Playoffs that when he's on the court, he can still produce at the highest level. While he's currently working his way back from ankle surgeries over the summer, the hope is that he's nearly back to 100 percent and can stay there.

Chemistry is also a major factor for this Milwaukee Bucks team after what they went through last year.

The odds of the Milwaukee Bucks moving Khris Middleton are slim, but if a star or even superstar becomes available for trade, perhaps that could change.

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