NBA Free Agency: Bucks keep Khris Middleton around for long-term gains

The Bucks are keeping Khris Middleton on a long-term deal worth $102 million, which will work out in the team’s favor down the line as well.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski, the Bucks have signed Khris Middleton to a $102 million deal over the next three seasons. The last year of the deal has a player option.

Middleton was pursued by the Rockets among other teams who sought to sign him to a longer-term max deal in all certainty. Middleton has declined in play in the last couple of years but he is still an All-Star/All-NBA player. He has had injury troubles as well.

In the last season of his deal, he will most likely not be an All-Star-level player in this league due to a recent decline in play.

What does re-signing Khris Middleton mean for the Bucks going forward? 

This is actually a very good signing for the Bucks. The fact that they were able to get Middleton for three years is very good considering that the Mavericks have to sign Kyrie Irving to the same terms even though he is a way more risky bet than Middleton is. Middleton will most likely still be able to play like an All-Star/All-NBA player for the next two seasons and start to decline in his final year of the deal.

In all likelihood, he will accept the player option of the deal. This will enable the Bucks to use him as an expiring contract in a way to attract top-tier talent for Giannis Antetokounmpo. By that time, the Bucks will have a lot of more first-round draft picks to trade which will help them get a star player. Add in a young player that they are able to develop, then there is an exit strategy for the Bucks to pair with Antetokounmpo.

This was really key due to the fact that rival teams were monitoring the situation with Giannis Antetokounmpo who think that he might be the next mega-star to end up requesting a trade. This signing helps out the Bucks in the present and in the future. For a supporting cast player who is declining in play, this was super key for Milwaukee.