Milwaukee Bucks All-Star forward Khris Middleton successfully underwent two arthroscopic clean-up surgeries this offseason to resolve lingering issues, league sources said. Athletic.
Shortly after the playoffs, Middleton underwent surgery on his left ankle to address issues that had plagued him throughout last season. Sources said the surgery repaired some of the lingering damage from a sprained left ankle that Middleton suffered when he landed on Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant’s foot after attempting a jump shot on Feb. 6. Durant received a flagrant-1 penalty on the game-closing play.
“I’ve never had a sprained ankle that bad before,” Middleton said on March 6. “I mean, after it happened, I tried to play and run a little bit and see if it would loosen up. And it didn’t loosen up. It didn’t feel good.”
“I went in the back and tried to put the tape back on, but the minute I took my shoes off it just exploded, so I had to stop.”
In addition to the surgery, the 32-year-old Middleton also required minor arthroscopic surgery to resolve lingering issues with his right ankle, which took place in mid-June.
Middleton was walking without pain or discomfort Saturday afternoon while visiting teammates in Las Vegas for a summer league game. As for a timeline for his recovery, Middleton has already begun light court training, league sources said. Athleticand is expected to be ready by the start of the 2024-25 season.
The 12-year NBA veteran missed 16 straight games for more than a month with a left ankle injury but returned on March 17. Middleton played in 12 of the Bucks’ final 15 regular-season games, with the three games he missed coming in consecutive games when he was listed as out due to injury management on his left ankle.
Despite lingering left ankle issues and a right ankle sprain suffered in Game 2 of the series, Middleton performed well for the Bucks in the postseason, averaging 24.7 points, 9.2 rebounds and 4.7 assists in 38.3 minutes over six games against the Indiana Pacers in the first round.
Middleton’s postseason successes include a 42-point performance in Game 3 when two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo was absent and seven-time All-Star Damian Lillard tried to lead the Bucks to a limited overtime victory, and a Game 5 victory when the Bucks became the first team in NBA history to win a playoff game without their two leading regular-season scorers.
Chris Money Middleton ties the score! pic.twitter.com/o27gvnfFhs
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) April 27, 2024
But in just 55 games this season, Middleton averaged 15.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists in 27 minutes per game. The three-time All-Star underwent right knee surgery in May 2023, shortly after the Bucks’ first-round loss to the Miami Heat, but spent the first month of the season under a strict minutes restriction trying to get back into shape.
After Milwaukee was eliminated in the first round of the NBA playoffs for the second straight year due to health issues, this will be another crucial offseason for the Bucks, as head coach Doc Rivers searches for ways to return his team to championship contender status.
Middleton has two years remaining on the three-year, $102 million contract extension he signed with the Bucks last offseason, which includes a player option for the 2025-26 season.
(Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images)
