A well-known Milwaukee Bucks alum could be on the move again this offseason. After trading Khris Middleton for Kyle Kuzma, the former Bucks star and champion could be on a different team by next season.
Middleton has a player option for $34 million with the Washington Wizards in 2026, which HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto reported he is likely to exercise.
“Looking ahead, NBA executives widely expect Middleton to exercise his $33.35 million player option for the 2025-26 season,” Scotto wrote.
Middleton is among the few veterans on the Wizards’ roster, which includes Marcus Smart and Richaun Holmes. Scotto added that all three could be on the move this coming offseason.
“All three veterans will be trade candidates to monitor this summer in Washington,” Scotto wrote.
The Bucks can’t re-acquire Middleton for a year after trading him at the trade deadline, per CBA rules. However, if the Wizards trade him this summer, that would lift that specific restriction. However, any interested party in Middleton would likely acquire him in the hopes of keeping him.
The Bucks should keep their eyes peeled on Middleton’s next team if the Wizards decide to trade him. Milwaukee will have championship aspirations as long as Giannis Antetokounmpo is on the roster. Depending on who gets him, Middleton could potentially get in their way.
But the Bucks knew that when they traded him. Even if Middleton could play for one of their fiercer opponents soon, Milwaukee swapped him for Kuzma partly because Middleton was aging and didn’t look like he’d ever return to that same player.
He may win another title before his career is over, but at this stage in his career, he’s not the same player who won over the hearts of Bucks fans for a decade.
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