Khris Middleton has played all of eight games for the Washington Wizards, but he’s the same loyal teammate he was for 11 and a half years in Milwaukee.
During Wizards’ game against the Pistons on Tuesday night, he wasted no time defending 21 year-old rookie Kyshawn George when push came to shove in Detroit.
Summon the Troops: Shoving Match Breaks Out in Little Caesars Arena
After the Bucks traded Middleton to Washington for Kyle Kuzma, some wondered whether the Wizards would look to flip him or opt for a buyout. The front office quickly cleared the air by announcing plans to keep the 33-year-old bucket getter for, among other things, his veteran leadership on a young squad.
On a rebuilding roster, nine Wizards are 22 or younger. Five more are under 25. At the deadline, in addition to Middleton, the team added 31-year-old Marcus Smart from Memphis. Along with guard Malcolm Brogdon and backup big Richaun Holmes, they form the older core tasked with raising the next, hopefully competitive generation of Wizards.
Middleton takes seriously his role as experienced teammate and avuncular guide, bald elder amongst a nest of full-coiffured fledglings. When, awaiting an inbounds near the end of the second quarter, shoves were exchanged between George and Detroit’s Cade Cunningham, he walked right over to put a forearm in Cunningham’s chest.
Middleton got in three good shoves before a pair of Pistons, fellow vets Tobias Harris and Tim Hardaway Jr, dragged him away. During the scrum, opposing center Jalen Duren got in a push on Middleton as well, drawing a shove from Wizards guard Jordan Poole.
Middleton getting into it with Cade 👀 pic.twitter.com/jGReOTvrlG
— BucksShowYo🦌 (@BucksShowYo) March 12, 2025
No technical fouls were assessed on the play. Officials had already doled out double techs on Smart and Isaiah Stewart, who seems to involve himself in at least one conflict per game, earlier in the quarter.
Tempers simmered down, but fans were impressed with Middleton’s show of stewardship.
Milwaukee Bucks Fans Love Khris Middleton’s Persona on Washington Wizards
Bucks fans still love Khash Money Khris and they always will. In the comment section of the twitter clip, @DeerMuse shared an affectionate observation:
Middleton left the Bucks and turned into an instigator, you gotta love it
— DeerMuse🦌 (@DeerMuse) March 12, 2025
Others offered similar messages of approval and/or amusement:
Damn he’s taking care of them young ones in Washington 😂
— Brooklyn (@BMaurice34) March 12, 2025
Unc getting active for the yns in Washington 😭 love to see it 💯❤️
— o (@kpjstanaccount) March 12, 2025
Khris Middleton left the bucks and turned into Bobby Portis 😂
— Joey Collura (@joey_collura) March 12, 2025
Funny enough, Middleton donned Pistons gear as a rookie, his only season outside Milwaukee until this trade deadline.
Across five games in March, the new Wizard is contributing 13.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.8 steals on 47.9% shooting, numbers similar to his season averages.
Washington’s 123-103 loss was just another drop in the bucket, plunking the Wizards to 13-51 on the season, dead last in the NBA.
To finish off the season series, they remain in Detroit to play the Pistons again on Thursday. Buried in a rebuild, the Wizards don’t have anything better to do. After Tuesday, with true instigators like Stewart on the other side, fans might get an encore before the final horn.
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