Fret not, Milwaukee Bucks fans. Restricted free agent Khris Middleton wants to stay for the long haul.
During his "Khris Middleton Skills Academy" in Charleston, Middleton said he "definitely" wants to stay in Milwaukee.
"We have a lot of great pieces with the Bucks," Middleton told Gene Sapakoff of the Post and Courier. "If we can stay together, we can do something special."
Flying under the radar, there's no denying the third-year's development. After being drafted 39th overall in 2012, Middleton has worked his way from a middling rookie with the Detroit Pistons into an emerging two-way contributor for Milwaukee.
Middleton posted modest boxscore averages of 13.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.5 steals in 30.1 minutes per game this season. But that hardly describes his skillset. He's a strong wing defender and a lights-out shooter, firing 41 percent from deep over the past two seasons.
The 23-year-old's stats look even shinier through the prism of advanced statistics. The Bucks were 15.3 points per 100 possessions improved with Middleton on the court, ranking him 10th overall in ESPN's Real Plus-Minus evaluation.
Middleton's true strength is on defense. The long, rangy defender fits Milwaukee's scrambling, switch-heavy scheme to a T. Middleton excelled in the Bucks' fourth-ranked defense alongside swingmen Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jabari Parker.
For his age and skillset, Middleton will be heavily pursued in free agency. But he's a restricted and the Bucks can match any offer that comes his way. Fortunately, Milwaukee projects to have nearly $20 million in cap space and can extend Middleton without a worry.
