Milwaukee Bucks star forward Khris Middleton declined his $40.4 million player option and will become a free agent, his agents told ESPN on Wednesday night.
The three-time All-Star could still return to the Bucks but is now free to sign with any team.
Middleton, who will be 32 in August, has been hampered by injuries lately, missing the first 20 games last season following offseason left wrist surgery. He returned to play six games, then missed 18 games with a sore right knee.
In the 2022 playoffs, he suffered a sprained MCL and sat out Milwaukee’s last 10 postseason games.
After the Bucks’ first-round exit this spring, Middleton underwent successful right knee surgery.
A second-round pick of the Detroit Pistons in the 2012 draft, Middleton spent one season with Detroit before joining the Bucks, where he has spent the past 10 seasons.
Limited to just 33 games last season, Middleton averaged 15.1 points, 4.9 assists and 4.2 rebounds.
He’s averaged 17.0 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists for his career and played a key role in the Bucks’ run to the NBA championship in 2021.
–Field Level Media