NBA: Jeremy Lin, 15 Players Living Up To 2015 Contracts

NBA: 15 Players Living Up To 2015 Summer Contracts

November 20, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Jimmy Butler (21, right) dribbles against Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23, left) during the third quarter at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Bulls 106-94. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

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Jan 19, 2016; Miami, FL, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton (22) dribbles the ball against the Miami Heat at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Robert Duyos-USA TODAY Sports /

8. Khris Middleton

Khris Middleton didn’t exactly get off to a roaring start following his five-year, $70 million summer extension, but funnily enough, Jason Kidd‘s hip surgery provided him the opportunity to find his rhythm. In 17 games under interim Joe Prunty, Middleton averaged a red-hot 22.7 points, 5.0 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game on .500/.419/.865 shooting splits.

Okay, so maybe Kidd’s absence and Middleton’s surge had nothing to do with each other, since Middleton dropped 25 points, seven assists and five rebounds in Kidd’s return to the sideline Tuesday night. But no matter what the actual cause was, it has to be relieving for the Milwaukee Bucks to see this 24-year-old starting to deliver on all his potential as a more aggressive and efficient scorer on the wing.

After posting 13.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game on .467/.407/.859 shooting splits last year, Middleton’s value was questioned beyond his evident efficiency, especially within the context of such a massive extension. But with Middleton averaging 17.7 points, 4.0 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game on 42.3 percent shooting from downtown this year, he’s certainly living up to his new deal.

Next: No. 7