Khris Middleton declines $40M player option with Bucks - ESPN

Three-time All-Star forward Khris Middleton has declined his $40 million player option with the Milwaukee Bucks to become a free agent, his agents Mike Lindeman and Jeff Schwartz told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

A return to the Bucks on a new deal remains a possibility.

Injuries have plagued Middleton since the 2022 playoffs, when he missed Milwaukee's final 10 playoff games with a sprained MCL. He underwent left wrist surgery during last year's offseason, which sidelined him for the first 20 games of the 2022-23 season.

He returned on Dec. 2, 2022, and played six of seven games before missing 18 straight with right knee soreness.

Middleton, who turns 32 in August, underwent successful surgery on his right knee shortly after Milwaukee's first-round playoff exit to address the lingering issue. He averaged nearly 24 points and 6.2 assists in that playoff series, a five-game loss to the Miami Heat.

Middleton has been with the Bucks for 10 seasons, transitioning from role player to three-time All-Star and one of the faces of the franchise alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo. He had several big playoff performances in 2021 en route to the team's first NBA championship in 50 years.

Information from ESPN's Jamal Collier was included in this report.