Bucks’ Khris Middleton declines $40.4 million player option, per sources: What this means for Milwaukee

Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton has declined his player option for next season, league sources confirmed to The Athletic. Here’s what you need to know:

• Middleton’s player option was worth $40.4 million.
• Middleton averaged 15.1 points, 4.2 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game last season, upping his averages to 23.8 points, 6.4 rebounds and 6.2 assists in the postseason.
• Despite declining his option, Middleton could return to Milwaukee.

The Athletic’s instant analysis:

Why did he opt out?

Opting out allows Middleton to attempt to secure a long-term contract as opposed to a one-year deal with the Bucks. While Middleton might not find a first-year contract worth $40.4 million on the open market, it is now possible for him to sign up for a longer commitment from the Bucks or any of the other 29 teams in the NBA.

Bucks general manager Jon Horst has publicly acknowledged that the team doesn’t want Middleton to go anywhere else, which is a sentiment new coach Adrian Griffin affirmed in his introductory news conference. — Nehm

What does this mean for the Bucks?

This decision does not come as a shock to the Bucks. Players opt out regularly when they feel confident they can find comparable value in a contract on the open market, and that should exist for Middleton.

Before he underwent a minor arthroscopic procedure in June to address a right knee issue that plagued him throughout the season, Middleton put up strong offensive numbers in the Bucks’ five-game playoff series against the Heat — 23.8 points, 6.4 rebounds and 6.2 assists in 34.6 minutes per game with a 46.5 percent field goal percentage and 40.5 percent 3-point percentage.

He is expected to return to the court in July to prepare for next season. He is the best small forward on the market, according to John Hollinger’s rankings, and the Bucks will need to make a competitive offer to retain him. — Nehm

What they’re saying

“It’s pretty clear, Khris and Brook (Lopez) are core to what we’ve done, who we are,” Horst said on May 5.

“I think very valued by us now and going forward,” he added. “They both have different decisions, but decisions in front of them. We have different options with these guys. What’s clear is we want to figure out a way to move forward with these guys. There’s a lot of different avenues — extensions, opts in, opts out, free agency — that, when appropriate, or when it has been appropriate, we’ve engaged in navigating those with them directly and with their representatives. We’re going to continue to do that. How it plays out, I don’t know. Ultimately, none of these are one-sided decisions, in the case of these two guys. We have a role in it. They have a role in it. We’ll just keep working through that with them.”

Griffin said after his introductory news conference on June 6: “For me, coming in and competing against them all these years, I’m probably one of (Khris’s and Brook’s) biggest advocates. I’ve seen firsthand how good these players are. Jon and I are gonna sit down, but I’ve reached out to all the players and expressed how excited I am. Obviously, they’re a big part of what we’re trying to do moving forward, they’re huge pieces. I said this in the press conference, Giannis is arguably the best player in the world, but Khris, Jrue (Holiday) and Brook, you take them on any other team, they’re clearly number ones. That just speaks to the special talent we have on this roster.”

Backstory

The Detroit Pistons drafted Middleton in the second round of the 2012 NBA Draft. He played one year in the Detroit organization before being acquired by the Bucks. He has spent the past 10 seasons in Milwaukee.

Middleton started 19 of his 33 games last season, averaging 24.3 minutes, and started all five of Milwaukee’s postseason matchups in the first-round elimination by the Heat.

Required reading

(Photo: Stacy Revere / Getty Images)