Milwaukee Bucks star Khris Middleton has undergone two successful arthroscopic procedures this offseason to address lingering issues, league sources said. The athletics.
Shortly after the game, Middleton underwent surgery on his left ankle to address a problem that has plagued him this season. According to those sources, the procedure cleared up some lingering damage from the left ankle sprain Middleton suffered on Feb. 6 when he attempted a jump shot and landed on Kevin Durant’s leg against the Phoenix Suns’ forward. Durant was assessed 1 penalty for the shutout.
“I can’t imagine spraining an ankle, something as bad as that,” Middleton said on March 6. I mean, after this happened, I tried to play, I tried to loosen it up a bit, see if it was. It’s about to be released or something. He just didn’t. I didn’t feel comfortable.
“I went in the back, tried to record again, and as soon as I took my shoes off, it blew up. So it had to be shut down.”
In addition to the surgery, Middleton, 32, will need a minor arthroscopy procedure to clear up a problem in his right ankle. That operation took place in mid-June.
While visiting his teammates in Las Vegas on Saturday afternoon, Middleton was walking without pain or discomfort. As for the recovery timeline, league sources say that Middleton has started light court work The athleticsAnd it is expected to be ready for the start of the 2024-25 season.
The 12-year NBA veteran missed more than a month of practice and 16 consecutive games with a left ankle injury before returning on March 17. Middleton played in 12 of the Bucs’ final 15 regular-season games, with three missed. With left ankle injury management listed as out-to-back.
Despite his left ankle strain, as well as right ankle pain 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 in six games against the Indiana Pacers in the first round.
Middleton’s strong postseason includes a 42-point Game 3 performance, and Middleton won Game 5 without two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and seven-time All-Star Damian Lillard in overtime. The Bucks became the first team in NBA history to win a playoff game without their two leading scorers from the regular season.
Chris Money Middleton tied! pic.twitter.com/o27gvnfFhs
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) April 27, 2024
On the season, however, Middleton averaged 15.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists in 27 minutes per game, playing just 55 games. The three-time All-Star spent the first month of May 2023 recovering from right knee surgery as he returned to form after the Bucks’ first-round loss to the Miami Heat.
It’s another important offseason for the Bucks as head coach Doc Rivers tries to figure out how to get his team back into the championship conversation with health playing a big role in Milwaukee’s first-round NBA playoff run. Antetokounmpo missed the entire series against Indiana, and Lillard missed two games.
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 Dean/NBAE via Getty Images)