Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton is once again a hot topic in the rumor mill, as mock trades suggest that the Bucks may benefit from letting him go in exchange for getting one of Damian Lillard’s former teammates to form a stronger three-man team around them and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
In a recent report from NBA insider Evan Sidery, the New Orleans Pelicans allegedly cannot find a market for their forward Brandon Ingram, and thus might seek to trade for CJ McCollum instead.
According to Sidery, this is still part of the Pelican’s efforts to implement a “reset” that would help them bounce back from their 4-16 record so far this season. But where could their shooting guard be a good fit?
According to Sportskeeda, McCollum might be a good first for at least three teams: the Los Angeles Lakers, the Chicago Bulls, and the Milwaukee Bucks.
“There have been rumors that the Milwaukee Bucks are ready to let go of Khris Middleton in exchange for a solid third option that could efficiently complement the duo of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard,” the report speculated. “Under the circumstances, Milwaukee could be the perfect landing spot for CJ McCollum.”
Should the Bucks end up trading to McCollum, it would be a reunion for him and Damian Lillard, as the two were former teammates and considered a dynamic duo during their stay with the Portland Trail Blazers.
Will Milwaukee Bucks Let Go of Khris Middleton?
While the idea of a “big 3” around Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard, and CJ McCollum is enticing and something that most Bucks fans would definitely love to see, how like is the team really to let go of Khris Middleton?
As per some analysts, the likelihood of the Bucks trading out Midleton is only at around 10%.
“If the Bucks do get desperate enough that they have to make a significant change to their roster, Middleton is probably the big-salary player that would have to be involved,” one report said. “Punting on the Lillard-Giannis duo just a little more than a year into the experiment would be malpractice. Middleton is the one player who is somewhat expendable at this point.”
So far, Khris Middleton has not played any game this season due to his recovery from surgeries he had during the offseason. He’s been medically cleared to play, but he’s reportedly taking his time to physically recover and get comfortable before taking to the court again.
Khris Middleton’s numbers for the 2023-2024 season included a 15.1 points average per game, 4.7 rebounds, and 5.3 assists.
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