Milwaukee Bucks All-Star forward Khris Middleton underwent successful surgery on his right knee shortly after the playoffs to address an issue that plagued him this past season, league sources tell The Athletic.
Middleton, 31, is expected to fully recover from the minor arthroscopic procedure, and he should be back on the court in July. Per sources, the clean-up procedure to his right knee was planned and scheduled prior to the season coming to a close.
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Middleton averaged 15.1 points, 4.2 rebounds and 4.9 assists in 24.3 minutes per game in 33 games this past season and increased those numbers to 23.8 points, 6.4 rebounds and 6.2 assists in 34.6 minutes per game against the Heat in the first round of the playoffs, but struggled with right knee issues throughout the 2022-23 campaign.
Following a left wrist surgery last offseason, Middleton missed the first 20 games of the season as he waited for the wrist to heal and then worked to get himself back into game shape. Middleton returned to action on Dec. 2, 2022, and played six of the next seven games before missing 18 straight games with right knee soreness.
During that time, Middleton told The Athletic that he was dealing with the lingering effects of a left ankle sprain and blistering on both feet, but overwhelmingly, it was the right knee soreness that was keeping him on the sidelines.
“I mean, it’s nothing too crazy,” Middleton said in mid-January. “It’s just kind of what I’ve dealt with every summer ramping back up for the season. Just getting my knee back accustomed to running, jumping, the force, the contact after being off for a long period of time.
“I know it’s kind of vague, but the truth of it is that’s all it was. Just the swelling and all of that, we couldn’t get it to go away. My leg just wasn’t strong enough or conditioned enough to withstand it.”
This is an important offseason for Middleton and the Bucks. Middleton has a player option worth $40.4 million for the 2023-24 season and needs to make a decision on that option by June 21.
Required reading
- What should the Bucks do about Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez?
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(Photo: Sam Navarro / USA Today)