The Milwaukee Bucks are done. They were unceremoniously ousted by the Miami Heat in the first round of the NBA playoffs. Nobody expected this. It was a disappointing season by all accounts.
Now, the Bucks face questions. Big ones. The immediate future of this team is filled with more questions than answers. Brook Lopez is a free agent. That’s significant enough. With that said, Khris Middleton is due to hit the open market as well.
Here are three teams we think should target him in free agency.
Indiana Pacers
Some may see this as an odd suggestion. The Indiana Pacers didn’t make the play-in tournament this year. Why make a win-now signing? Well, it would be consistent with the Pacers’ general modus operandi. This small market team doesn’t like to rebuild for long. Don’t be surprised if they look to take a step forward this summer.
If they did, Middleton could be a great fit. The Pacers have pieces that could make them one of the best shooting teams in the NBA. Their lead playmaker (Tyrese Haliburton) is an elite shooter, and they’ve got a stretch big man in Myles Turner.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Khris Middleton, Milwaukee Bucks & Indiana Pacers Updates
They could use another sweet shooting wing. Middleton would fit the bill. All told, this would be a good signing for a team looking to get back to the playoffs. Expect that to be a theme here.
Utah Jazz
In fact, it only makes sense that a team on the cusp would target Middleton. Cap space will be scarce this summer. Most teams won’t have it. Middleton will have a relatively limited number of suitors.
The Utah Jazz should be one of them. Like the Pacers, this team missed the playoffs this season. Still, they looked like a very competitive team at times this season.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Khris Middleton, Milwaukee Bucks & Utah Jazz Updates
Adding Middleton could put them over the top. In signing him, the Jazz could build a playoff team – and they’d be left with ample draft capital to make further improvements. With that said, the same could be said of the next team.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Frankly, you could take the Jazz slide, replace the word Jazz with the word Oklahoma City Thunder, and be done here. In fact, the Thunder were even tougher to beat than the Jazz this summer. They made the play-in tournament. Everyone’s expecting the Thunder to take a step forward this summer.
Why not add Middleton? The Thunder have the cap space. Here, they’d be adding a star player without surrendering any assets to do so.
Meanwhile – boy, would the Thunder have assets left over. By adding Middleton, they could build a playoff team. From there, they could be a trade away from building a title contender. Hopefully, they’ll fare better than the Bucks did this season if they do.
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