The Milwaukee Bucks Should Retire Khris Middleton's Jersey Number
Middleton was a huge factor for the Bucks during his 12 years with them
Just moments before the NBA trade deadline ended on Thursday, the Milwaukee Bucks traded small forward Khris Middleton to the Washington Wizards in a four-team trade.
For the majority of his time in Milwaukee, Middleton played a second fiddle behind superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. In spite of that, his jersey should still be retired.
After playing his rookie season with the Detroit Pistons, Middleton was traded to the Bucks, with whom he played 12 years.
Middleton was a pivotal piece for the Bucks
While playing in Milwaukee, Middleton contributed in large ways as he averaged 17.1 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 4.1 assists. Being a three-time All-Star, he had a lot of great seasons.
However, his best one was arguably the 2019-20 campaign. During that year, Middleton averaged a career-high 20.9 points, a career-high 6.2 rebounds, and 4.3 assists. On Jan. 28, he put together one of the best performances of his career. During a victory against the Wizards, he recorded a career-high 51 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists.
Along with Antetokounmpo, Middleton led the Bucks to eight straight playoff appearances from 2017 to 2024.
In the playoffs, Middleton logged in a combined average of 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 1.1 steals. In 2021, he helped lead the Bucks to the Finals, where they defeated the Phoenix Suns to win their first championship since 1971. In that Finals series, Middleton averaged 24.0 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.5 steals.
Despite the lack of regular season accolades, Middleton’s time with the Bucks was special. As of right now, he is the Bucks’ third all-time leading scorer with a total of 12,586 points and their all-time leader in 3-pointers with 1,382. Though it hasn’t been discussed, Middleton’s jersey belongs in the rafters.
Cory Nelson is a contributor to The Lead. He attended Northern Virginia Community College. He can be reached at corymckenzienelson@hotmail.com or follow him on Twitter @CKenzyNelson, Instagram @ckenzynelson, and Threads @ckenzynelson