Khris Middleton declines $40.4 million player option with Bucks, becomes free agent
Khris Middleton had a midnight ET deadline to inform the Milwaukee Bucks if he was going to pick up his player option for the 2023-24 season, but the 31-year-old forward elected to forgo his $40.4 million option and test free agency.
It is the conclusion of a deal Middleton signed in the summer of 2019 after opting out of his first contract with the Bucks.
Middleton’s agents announced the decision to ESPN.
Opting out does not preclude Middleton and the Bucks coming together for yet another long-term contract – and a lower salary for the upcoming season can give the Bucks some wiggle room to re-sign free agent center Brook Lopez while also not immediately soaring into the newly created second “tax apron,” which will hamper the team’s future roster building ability.
The three-time All-Star is coming off right knee surgery following the Bucks’ first-round playoff exit, and he played in just 33 games after missing time at the start of the season due to rehab for left wrist surgery and then more time in the middle of the year due to right knee soreness.
Middleton, who will be 32 in August, is also an Olympic gold medalist with a career 17.0 points per game scoring average. He averaged 19.9 points per game from 2017-22 before last season’s injury-shortened campaign.
In his 33 games, Middleton averaged 15.1 points per game. But, he did average 23.8 points, 6.4 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game in the Bucks’ playoff loss to the Miami Heat.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Bucks' Khris Middleton declines player option, becomes free agent
