Porter has helped the Bucks stay afloat; what’s his Milwaukee future?
Kevin Porter Jr. has helped the Milwaukee Bucks stay afloat without an injured Giannis Antetokounmpo; what’s Porter Jr.’s future in Milwaukee?
Instead of negotiating a buyout to possibly sign with an NBA-contending team, former Milwaukee Bucks all-star Khris Middleton has reportedly decided to finish the season with the Dallas Mavericks.
Sunday, March 1 was the deadline for players to be waived and still be eligible for postseason rosters if they were signed by other teams. Multiple playoff teams including the Denver Nuggets were among contenders that reportedly were interested in signing Middleton.
Keith Smith, host of the NBA Front Office podcast notes that because Middleton has Bird rights, a potential sign and trade in the offseason could make sense for both the Mavericks and Middleton so the Mavericks could obtain additional assets as opposed to just releasing him.
Middleton spent nearly 12 of his 14 seasons with the Bucks before being traded to the Washington Wizards in 2024 for Kyle Kuzma and Patrick Baldwin Jr. A three-time all-star, Middleton averaged 17.1 points a a game with the Bucks and shot over 39% from 3-point range.
In 41 games with the Mavericks and Wizards this season, Middleton is averaging 10.9 points per game.
Last week, Mavericks coach Jason Kidd talked about how having Middleton’s experience has been important to Dallas rookie forward Cooper Flagg, but Middleton apparently joked that Flagg doesn’t need any assistance.
“I’ve been talking to him a lot about how he can help Coop,” Kidd said. “He feels like he can’t help Coop. Coop’s already passed him. He has a good sense of humor (about it). But just looking at his knowledge and understanding of the game, it’s been great working with Khris.”
