The Milwaukee Bucks will face the San Antonio Spurs Wednesday night in the wake of the announcement that forward Khris Middleton is being removed from the starting lineup. The NBA trade deadline is full of constant noise and media drama, but you have to wonder: will the buzz around Middleton affect the locker room and/or his teammates’ play on the court?
Big rumors are nothing new in Milwaukee. Giannis Antetokounmpo has hinted at a strong desire for roster improvements in the recent past, with the implication that doing nothing could cause him to seek a trade.
With Giannis’ wishes in mind, the front office pulled off the blockbuster two offseasons ago that shipped Jrue Holiday to Boston and brought Damian Lillard to Milwaukee. After the trio of Giannis, Holiday and Middleton produced a championship in 2021 (not of the NBA Cup variety), the Lillard era has yielded a first-round exit and an 18-16 start to 2024-25.
Flipping Middleton seems like the Bucks’ best bet to bring in better talent. Let’s just hope they do something, and soon. The current mood in the air is that Milwaukee has already cleared out Middleton’s closet and put him on the couch. They just haven’t kicked him out yet.
Khris Middleton: From “Kash Money” to Pawn As Milwaukee Bucks Hunt Second Ring During Giannis’ Prime
Less than three weeks ago, the Bucks took a strong stance on their plans involving Middleton: they had “no interest” in giving him up.
That didn’t do much to muffle speculation, though, and look where we’ve arrived.
Of course, they could simply be trying to establish a new order in what has been an irksomely inconsistent season. In the win-loss column, they have gone from 2-8, to 16-12, and now to 18-16.
Perhaps most frustrating of all, two of their recent losses came to bad opponents (the 13-23 Nets and the 12-23 Blazers) with both Giannis and Lillard healthy. The team cannot seem to find its footing.
Middleton’s reduced production is, in small proportion to Milwaukee’s overall struggles, part of the problem. Limited to 12 games due to ankle injuries and load management, he is not the same scorer he once was. His 12.7 PPG is the lowest of his career since his sophomore season. While still a reliable sharpshooter (40.4% from distance), he can no longer be the second or third option he was on the 2021 Finals team, all while playing lockdown defense.
But rotating Middleton to the bench means inserting either Taurean Prince or Gary Trent Jr. into the starting lineup along with Giannis, Dame, Brook Lopez, and Andre Jackson. The Bucks lack the depth for this to be a feasible strategy. Frankly, it doesn’t make sense.
And, frankly, the supposition that benching Middleton is related to anything but trade negotiations, ongoing or future, feels naive.
Wemby-Giannis Faceoff Will Feature Side-Drama To Keep Track Of
Despite Middleton’s ties to the franchise–he and Giannis are the longest tenured Bucks at 12 years’ service–some fans are more than ready to bid farewell to the oft-injured forward. Many believe he is thoroughly “washed.”
In an intriguing coincidence, Milwaukee’s move on Middleton mirrors what recently went down in the city that, four seasons ago, the Bucks gatekept from getting its first ring. Just Monday, a report came out of Phoenix that the Suns’ Bradley Beal and Jusuf Nurkic would also be keeping the benches nice and toasty during future tipoffs.
Fans are free to assume that the reason for the switch is performance optimization. Riggghhht. Whether or not a trade comes to fruition for either team’s aging, expensive stars, their demotion from the starting lineup screams FOR SALE.
Against San Antonio, Giannis and Lillard are both present in the injury report. Giannis is probable with what is listed as a knee issue, although he also hurt his hand Monday vs Portland. Lillard is questionable with a calf contusion. The Bucks are down to 4-point favorites after the line climbed as high as -5.5.
Assuming Giannis takes the court, the second-ever face off between the French Alien and the Greek Freak will be must-see TV, but I’ll be keeping one eye on the bench. If number 22 gets up mid-game and starts giving out hugs, well, we’ll know what time it is.
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