Milwaukee, WI
Projecting Khris Middleton’s Next Contract With Milwaukee Bucks
DETROIT, MICHIGAN – MARCH 27: Khris Middleton #22 of the Milwaukee Bucks looks on against the … [+]
After filling the open head coach position, determining how to retain Khris Middleton’s services is second on the Milwaukee Bucks’ offseason to-do list.
By now, you probably know he has a $40.4 million player option for the 2023-24 season. An option he must make a decision on by June 21st. There are basically five choices he and the Bucks have:
- Accept the player option and play the season on a one-year deal (unlikely)
- Accept the player option and sign a contract extension of up to four years and $220.6 million (a $55.15 million average salary)
- Decline the player option and sign with a new team in free agency
- Decline the player option and re-sign (this would happen on or after July 1st and be worth up to five years and $272 million)
- Decline the player option and sign an extension (this would happen on or before June 30th and be worth up to four years and $204 million with the caveat that 2023-24 couldn’t be for less than the option he declined)
His play and injury situation further complicates the situation. He’s coming off his worst statistical season since the Bucks’ rise to prominence in 2018, averaging 15.1 points, 4.2 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game while posting a measly 49.9 percent effective field goal percentage.
He showed flashes of his old self, especially in the postseason when he bookended their upset loss with 33-point performances. However, he also put up a couple of stinkers during the series, displaying signs of struggling to handle and shoot the ball.
The inconsistency he showed throughout 2022-23 is a major concern for a 31-year-old looking for another big payday on a multi-year contract.
Of course, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the injuries he was battling last year as well. It seems to stem from the 2022 All-Star break when Middleton initially hurt his wrist. He reportedly played through that pain before suffering an injury to his left knee against the Chicago Bulls in last year’s playoffs. That forced him to miss the final three games of the series and the entire semi-final round against the Boston Celtics.
In the offseason, Middleton decided to address both the knee and the wrist issues, putting him on the shelf for most of the summer. He didn’t make his season debut until December 2nd, but only lasted seven games before being unable to play due to his left knee.
After sitting out for another five weeks, he returned on January 23rd and slowly worked his way back into game shape. With Milwaukee being extremely cautious with him, he didn’t play 30 minutes in a single game until March 7th and never played in a back-to-back.
In a game against the Bulls on April 5th—just days before the end of the regular season—he landed awkwardly on his right knee and was unable to finish the game. This was the knee he historically had issues with dating back to college (other than his playoff injury last year). There were questions about his postseason availability and how much he could help the Bucks in the first round. In 34.6 minutes per game, he averaged 23.8 points, 6.4 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game while shooting a 54.1 percent effective field goal percentage.
That postseason push may have reinstilled some confidence in the Bucks’ organization.
If Middleton leaves in free agency, Milwaukee won’t suddenly have $40 million to spend in free agency or on other players. Due to their position with the luxury cap, that’s lost money that walks out the door when he does.
He may not be worth anything close to that much anymore, but Milwaukee is backed into a corner. Their best shot at winning a title next year is to bring back the same core, hire a coach with a fresh perspective and make some tweaks to the role players.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is under contract for two more years with a player option for the 2025-26 season. Jrue Holiday has a player option that runs through the 2024-25 season. It makes sense to also bring Brook Lopez back on a deal that runs through the 2024-25 season. Do you see what I’m getting at with Middleton?
The best path forward for both sides may be to add an extra year of protection for Middleton while negotiating the amount of annual money down from the current $40.4 million. Doing it this way means he would have to hit unrestricted free agency on July 1 before re-signing with the Bucks.
Contract Projection: Three years for $90 million with a player option on the third year
MILWAUKEE – A 25-year-old Milwaukee man is accused of shooting another man near a gas station near 14th and North. The accused is Dreaten Burch – and he faces a single charge of first-degree reckless injury.
According to the criminal complaint, Milwaukee police responded on Sunday evening, Dec. 8 to a shooting near 14th and North Avenue. Officers spoke with relatives of the shooting victim who came home with a gunshot wound to his face. They believed he had been at a nearby gas station.
That same night, a detective went to Froedtert Hospital where the shooting victim was being treated for his wound. He indicated he “exchanged words with the driver of a white vehicle, then ran west on North Avenue and got shot in the face as he ran,” the complaint says. The victim said he did not see who shot him.
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Milwaukee police responded to the Citgo gas station near 14th and North and reviewed surveillance video showing the suspect and victim. The complaint says the “video shows that at about 5:31 p.m., a man walks into Citgo, then leaves and walks through the parking lot. At about 5:33 p.m., a white vehicle turns into the parking lot and appears to nearly strike the man in the parking lot, who has to avoid the vehicle. The vehicle parks, then a suspect exits the driver’s door, then heads in the same direction as the first man.”
Investigators found a casing and unspent cartridge northeast of the intersection of 14th and North. Police “later found additional surveillance video showing the man and suspect heading to this location, and showing the man returning to the white vehicle,” the complaint says.
Investigators reviewed photos of the suspect vehicle. They also queried the Flock Safety database and found a matching vehicle within three days of the incident. Officers had previously stopped the vehicle — and identified the driver as Dreaten Burch.
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Burch was arrested on Dec. 9. When police tried to question him about the shooting incident at the gas station, Burch “said he may have been at the gas station and may have been in the car, but he didn’t know about anything else,” the complaint says.
Burch made his initial appearance in Milwaukee County court on Saturday, Dec. 14. Cash bond was set at $10,000.
Matt Yeazel brings you Bucks in 6, a 6-minute recap of Milwaukee’s 112-101 over the Washington Wizards on Saturday night despite Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard being out with injuries.
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Bobby Portis replaced Giannis Antetokounmpo in the starting lineup and scored a season-high 34 points, leading the Milwaukee Bucks to a 112-101 victory over the Washington Wizards on Saturday night.
Khris Middleton had 18 points, six rebounds and eight assists for the Bucks, while Portis finished with 10 rebounds and eight assists.
Antetokounmpo (back spasms) missed his third game of the season and the Bucks also played again without Damian Lillard (right calf strain) after winning the NBA Cup earlier this week.
Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers said Lillard could play Monday against Chicago.
Rookie Ryan Rollins started at point guard in Lillard’s absence and contributed 14 points in 31 minutes. Center Brook Lopez also had 14 and Gary Trent Jr. had 15 points and seven rebounds.
Middleton played for the second straight night after scoring 14 points in 19 minutes at Cleveland on Friday. He continues to get into shape after missing the first 21 games following offseason surgery on both ankles.
Jordan Poole scored 26 points and Bilal Coulibaly had 20 points and 11 rebounds for Washington.
“We Got This Garden” hosts event for area kids to pick gifts for family members
MILWAUKEE – The holidays came early on Milwaukee’s north side on Saturday, Dec. 21
At “We Got This Garden” near 9th and Ring, kids were able to pick out gifts to give to a parent, guardian, or other family members.
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“Around this time of the year, parents, guardians loved ones – they want to make their kids feel as special as they can,” said Meg Bruzan, team leader with We Got This Milwaukee. “We thought it would just be really great for kids to be able to give back a little bit to those families that do so much every single day of the year.”
The event was new this year. It was made possible due to donations, which the organization accepts online.
In the summer, “We Got This Garden” welcomes neighborhood kids to learn the basics of gardening – and earn some money in the process.
Data shows that the 53206 area is one of the most incarcerated ZIP codes in the nation. There are also health and poverty concerns.
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