The Milwaukee Bucks could have two key players hitting the free agent market this summer and it looks like the organization has made bringing back a particular player a priority in the weeks ahead.
This will be a very interesting offseason for the Milwaukee Bucks. After being one of the very best teams all season long, and making several trades to bolster their chances of winning their second NBA title in three seasons, their 2022-2023 campaign ended disastrously in May.
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To the dismay of Milwaukee Bucks fans, the team’s season ended after just one round of the NBA playoffs when they were bounced by the Miami Heat in the early stages of what was a historic run to the NBA Finals. The shocking elimination sent shockwaves through the organization and led to the surprise firing of head coach Mike Budenholzer.
The change was always likely to come for the Bucks this summer, and that started at the end of May when they hired first-time head coach Adrian Griffin. Now, many are wondering what adjustments could come to the roster.
Khris Middleton reportedly met with Milwaukee Bucks head coaching finalists
Starting center Brook Lopez is a free agent, and star forward Khris Middleton has a player option in his contract before next season. He is expected to exercise it and join his teammate in NBA free agency. Both will surely garner interest in the open market and there is a real chance the Milwaukee Bucks could lose both players. However, a new report suggests there is a good chance Middleton will return.
On Tuesday, Yahoo Sports NBA insider Jake Fischer revealed that while the three-time All-Star is rumored to be a target for the Houston Rockets in free agency, “Middleton’s inclusion during meetings with Milwaukee’s final candidates to replace Mike Budenholzer strongly signaled a mutual interest in keeping the All-Star guard next to Giannis Antetokounmpo. And there is a growing sense among league executives that Middleton will return to the Bucks on a long-term agreement.”
However, when it comes to Brook Lopez, there is no clear indicator of how the Bucks feel about the talented scorer, but Fischer revealed Houston is expected to pursue him on the open market. With the Rockets expected to have around $60 million in salary cap space and Lopez likely looking for one last big contract, it could prove nearly impossible for the Milwaukee Bucks to re-sign both Middleton and Lopez this summer.