Khris Middleton
Getty
The 76ers have been linked to buyout candidate Khris Middleton, but it doesn't seem like the Mavericks are in a rush to move on from him
The Philadelphia 76ers have looked like a much-improved team as of late, and they will spend the rest of the 2025-26 campaign attempting to move up the Eastern Conference standings. Despite their collective success, though, it was a fairly quiet trade deadline for the Sixers, as they failed to make the sport of splash move that fans were hoping to see from them.
There is still time for Philadelphia to add to its team, as it has been linked to several players who could be set to hit the buyout market. One guy who has emerged as an early target is Dallas Mavericks‘ wing Khris Middleton, but according to his latest comments, it doesn’t exactly sound like he’s guaranteed to be on the move anytime soon.
Khris Middleton Addresses Buyout Rumors
Mike Curtis
Asked Khris Middleton about his fit with the #Mavs and if he’s had any conversations with the front office about his immediate future.
“Nah. Not yet. We haven’t got to that point. Don’t know that we will, but my focus right now is just playing basketball.”
The past year or so has been a bit of a wild ride for Middleton. His 12-year stint with the Milwaukee Bucks came to an abrupt end midway through last season when he was traded to the Washington Wizards as part of the deal that sent Kyle Kuzma the other way. Injury issues limited Middleton to just 48 games for Washington before he got dealt to the Mavs at the trade deadline.
During his time with the Bucks, Middleton turned himself into one of the more lethal shooters in the NBA. While he didn’t have to do all the heavy lifting, considering how he was playing alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo, Middleton was the perfect sidekick for him. That led to him earning three All-Star selections during his time with Milwaukee, while also playing a pivotal role in the team’s 2021 NBA Finals victory.
As noted above, injuries have kept Middleton out of action quite a bit over the past few years, and he now finds himself on a Mavericks team that appears set to undergo a rebuild of sorts. With Dallas not having much of a need for Middleton, folks have labeled him a potential buyout candidate, with the 76ers expected to show interest in him should he become available. Middleton recently revealed, though, that he hasn’t discussed a buyout with his new team just yet.
“Nah. Not yet,” Middleton said when asked about potentially being bought out by Dallas. “We haven’t got to that point. Don’t know that we will, but my focus right now is just playing basketball.”
76ers Hoping Khris Middleton Hits the Buyout Market
Khris Middleton, Lakers
GettyKhris Middleton of the Washington Wizards dribbles the ball against Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks.
Middleton isn’t the player he once was, but he still has something to offer as a sparkplug scorer off the bench. In 35 games this season, Middleton is averaging 10.4 points, four rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game while shooting 43.3% from the field. With the 76ers looking for another scorer to operate behind Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, Middleton would seemingly be the perfect fit.
Whether or not he’s even going to be available, though, remains unknown. It would seemingly make sense for the Mavericks to move on from Middleton, but the fact that he made his debut for the team on Tuesday night against the Phoenix Suns indicates that they may simply hold onto him. Nothing is set in stone yet, but Philly may have to pivot and find a new target on the buyout market over the next few days.