Milwaukee Bucks: Why bringing Khris Middleton back makes sense

In their first move of the 2019 NBA free agency period, the Milwaukee Bucks locked up All-Star forward Khris Middleton for the foreseeable future. It was a no-brainer for a team with championship aspirations.

2019 NBA free agency is in full swing. With tons of moves being announced on Sunday evening that shocked the NBA, teams have been busy shaping their futures. The Milwaukee Bucks‘ first priority was agreeing to sign forward Khris Middleton to an extended contract. Per ESPN‘s Adrian Wojnarowski, the deal is a five-year commitment for $178 million. Middleton will have a player option for the final year of the contract.

In his six seasons with the Bucks, Middleton has been quite the solid piece in the starting lineup. His past two seasons have been what secured the hefty payday. Averaging 20.1 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game in 2017-18, Middleton was a fringe All-Star. Although his scoring average dropped to 18.3 points per game in 2018-19, he was playing 5.3 fewer minutes on average.

To support his scoring average, Middleton hauled in 6.0 rebounds and dished out 4.3 dimes per game. This was enough to earn his first career All-Star selection. Milwaukee would go on to win 60 games and take the Toronto Raptors to six games in the Eastern Conference Finals. It was a season to remember, and Middleton’s contributions were a large part of that. With the help of ESPN‘s Malika Andrews, the 27-year-old explained why returning on a long-term deal was a must:

"“I want to win a championship for this city. I’ve already gotten back in the gym this summer and am determined to make next season special. This team is on a mission to win it all.”"

Although it may be for a bit more than some had hoped Milwaukee’s front office would shell out, the city has its co-star to run alongside franchise centerpiece Giannis Antetokounmpo for quite some time. In today’s NBA, where multiple good-to-great players team up in hopes of competing for a championship, stockpiling talent is as important as ever. Re-signing Middleton will put the Bucks at one star and two good-to-great players (Eric Bledsoe being the other one).

Middleton is still just 27. He’ll be 28 by the time the 2019-20 season officially tips off. The timing of this deal is pretty solid and covers the entirety of his prime. On a standard NBA aging curve, his best basketball should be right now. His game isn’t predicated upon explosion and athleticism, so he should age quite well as a stout defender and quality shooter.

On the court, this deal makes complete and utter sense. The only downside of it is the cost, but championship teams don’t come cheap. Milwaukee will likely have a large luxury tax bill while it attempts to keep its core together. With that being said, it’s 100 percent worth it if the end result is a championship.

Not bad for a second-round pick, eh? Middleton’s rise to near-stardom is one of the best stories in the NBA, and now he’s reaping the benefits of his hard work. Posting numbers comparable to one Jimmy Butler in 2018, Middleton’s name should be brought up more often:

Middleton vs. Butler (2018)

• PPG: Butler (18.7 > 18.3)
• RPG: Middleton (6.0 > 5.3)
• APG: Middleton (4.3 > 4.0)
• FG%: Butler (46.2 > 44.1)
• 3P%: Middleton (37.8 > 34.7)
• Defense: Butler

Of course, there are multiple factors to consider. Butler went from being a primary option to a second/third option, seeing his field goal attempts per game decrease. He’s the better player between him and Middleton. However, if Middleton were to see his role increased and he became the leading scorer on another team, would we see his numbers improve some? Most likely.

The opportunity to re-sign Khris Middleton simply made too much sense for the Milwaukee Bucks’ front office to not capitalize on. Providing Antetokounmpo with his co-star for the future and keeping a huge part of last year’s core together ensures another chance to run things back in 2019-20 and beyond.