Khris Middleton of
the Milwaukee Bucks is often the overlooked shining spot of the Bucks’ roster.
Despite being the right hand man of the probable MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo,
Middleton himself is also an All Star and could be the missing link to the
already solid Denver Nuggets’ roster. Denver has their foundation in place led
by Nikola Jokic with a terrific supporting cast of Jamal Murray, Gary Harris,
Paul Millsap and eventually Michael Porter Jr., but they were still knocked out
in the second round of the post season. While Michael Porter Jr. does have an
extremely high ceiling, it still may not be a bad idea for him to come off the
bench for at least one season. A solid wing who can consistently hit the three
point shot is exactly what the Denver Nuggets need, especially one who is an
All Star.
Will
Barton is simply too inconsistent and as alluded to already, Porter will be
young and developing. Khris Middleton not only fits Denver’s scheme and culture
perfectly, he also could form the Nuggets into a fringe super team considering
Middleton is now an All Star. Pair him with another All Star in Nikola Jokic
and an up and coming back court of Jamal Murray and Gary Harris and you have a
legitimate NBA title contender for next season. Just think about this for a
second. A starting rotation consisting of Jamal Murray, Gary Harris, Khris
Middleton, Paul Millsap and Nikola Jokic. Now say that again and out loud. Can’t
help but think that is an intriguing lineup huh?
Per
Basketball Reference.com, Middleton is a career 38.8% three point shooter which
would make him a deadly threat paired up with Jokic, who is already widely considered
the best passing big man in the league. This season, Khris averaged 18.3 points
per game to go along with six rebounds per game. He even averaged four assists
per game and even had an offensive rating of 109. Middleton also averaged a win
shares total of 6.1 in the regular season of this year. In the playoffs,
Middleton is a career average 18 points per game scorer along with shooting a
cool 44.4% from downtown in the post season. I think these totals speak for
themselves when it comes to how good a fit Middleton would be for the Denver
Nuggets.
Now for the downsides. Middleton may not want
to leave a team which is already contending for a title for another Western
Conference team who is constructed in a similar fashion where he would probably
have the same role. Not to mention, he may want a better contract or even a max
contract, something which would require the Nuggets’ front office to work
around. This would most likely mean working out some type of sign and trade
consisting of Will Barton and Mason Plumlee which could prove far too costly
for the depth of this team. Denver will most likely try to sign Millsap to a
cheaper deal this summer anyway, but it still might not be enough to lure Khris
Middleton to the Mile High city. However, Middleton is still worth at least
taking a metaphorical swing at in free agency.
The
Denver Nuggets have a busy off season ahead. Thankfully, they can check off one
thing on their to do list. President of Basketball Operations, Tim Connelly,
has committed to staying in the Mile High despite getting a better offer in
terms of money from the Washington Wizards. This is imperative considering he
is largely responsible for Denver’s current framework. As a result, he could be
the difference in convincing Middleton to take a leap of faith in the Mile High
and leave a high powered Bucks team, or him deciding on a different path in
this summer’s free agency.
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