It's no secret whatsoever that Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton battled his share of injuries last season and even the year before.
He appeared in 55 regular season games, an improvement over the 33 he played the year prior, but was hindered by nagging ankle issues. Despite his injuries, Middleton toughed it out and delivered a strong showing in the playoffs, where the Milwaukee Bucks lost to the Indiana Pacers in six games.
Middleton was clearly dealing with something incredibly serious, as The Athletic's Shams Charania and Eric Nehm have reported that the forward underwent surgery on both of his ankles this summer. They noted that Middleton is expected to be ready for the start of the 2024-25 NBA season but not before he endures yet another rehab process post-surgery.
Bucks' Khris Middleton undergoes surgery on both ankles
Obviously, this is not the news Milwaukee Bucks fans wanted to hear. Middleton has not been able to shake the injury bug over these past couple of years, and this will not help. It will also put a dent in his off-season routine, potentially hindering his conditioning and chemistry-building with his teammates. Still, it is positive that there's optimism he'll be ready by the season-opener.
Middleton showed in the NBA Playoffs that he still has plenty of fuel left in the tank. With the trio of Damian Lillard, Giannis Antetokounmpo and himself all banged up, Middleton did his best to lead the Bucks to a series win by averaging 24.7 points and 9.2 rebounds across six games, but Milwaukee could not ultimately overcome their short-handed personnel.
With an improved roster, the Milwaukee Bucks are still in a position to contend for a championship, but they need Khris Middleton healthy. Hopefully these recent surgeries can help the forward return to form and allow him to stay healthy for the foreseeable future. With the addition of Gary Trent Jr., the Bucks have one of the more star-studded starting fives in basketball when they're all healthy.
Let's all hope for a speedy recovery for Middleton.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.