Lakers, Khris Middleton
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Austin Reaves #15 of the Los Angeles Lakers is defended by Khris Middleton #22 of the Milwaukee Bucks during a game at Fiserv Forum on March 26, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
The Los Angeles Lakers may have a golden opportunity to add a player of championship caliber after the Feb. 5 NBA trade deadline. The Washington Wizards and Khris Middleton are reportedly expected to agree to a buyout, making the 2021 NBA champion a potential target for the Lakers and other title-contending teams who may be unable to make roster upgrades via trades.
Per The Athletic’s Josh Robbins, the Wizards are unlikely to find a trade suitor for Middleton’s $33.2M expiring salary, leading to a buyout. In such a scenario, the three-time All-Star could become a hot free-agent commodity at some point next month.
“Middleton, 34, has shown some signs of life lately, but no longer looks like a potential difference-maker for a contending team,” Robbins reported on Jan. 20.
“The majority of league sources whom The Athletic spoke with said they think Middleton’s most likely outcome is to remain with the Wizards through the deadline and be a buyout candidate.”
Could Lakers Target Middleton?
While Middleton is no longer the two-way force who played a key role in the Milwaukee Bucks’ 2021 championship run, he could be a key piece off the bench for the Lakers or any other title contender seeking proven playoff experience.
The 33-year-old has struggled to find his footing with the Wizards since being traded for Kyle Kuzma ahead of last year’s NBA trade deadline. He has already missed 29 of 73 games due to injury management, rest and foot issues, as the Wizards have pivoted toward a youth-focused rebuilding phase. Many insiders believe he is likely biding his time to get to a title contender so he can be a difference-maker once again.
This season, Middleton has started all 30 of his appearances, averaging 9.8 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.2 assists from 24.5 minutes, while shooting a career-low 42% from the field. This is the same player who was a near-50/40/90 sniper, averaging 20+ points per game with the Bucks just a few years ago, before injuries derailed his career.
Lakers Need Bench Scoring
A move to a team like the Lakers could definitely reinvigorate Middleton, who averaged 20.6 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists in 80 playoff games for the Bucks.
The Lakers, who rank dead-last in the league in bench scoring, could also use Middleton. JJ Redick’s team has received just 26.0 points from its second-unit players this season, 4.6 points fewer than the 29th-ranked LA Clippers, and more than 20 points fewer than the league-leading Memphis Grizzlies. Furthermore, the Lakers’ biggest rivals in the West — the San Antonio Spurs (40.4), the Oklahoma City Thunder (39.9) and the Denver Nuggets (33.8) — are all getting a lot more from their bench.
Unlike some of their rivals, the Lakers don’t have too many trade assets to make roster upgrades ahead of the Feb. 5 trade deadline. While the likes of Dalton Knecht, Rui Hachimura and Gabe Vincent have reportedly garnered little to no trade interest, the Lakers are hesitant to part with their only first-rounder so they can hold onto assets for a bigger move during the offseason.
As such, the Lakers could be forced to scour the buyout market for roster upgrades. Besides Middleton, the likes of CJ McCollum, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Nikola Vucevic — all of whom are on expiring deals — could be bought out of their contracts.