With training camp about to open, Bucks swingman Khris Middleton still hasn’t received medical clearance for 5-on-5 action, sources tell basketball reporter Chris Haynes (Twitter link). Middleton is “progressing nicely” after offseason surgical procedures on both ankles, Haynes adds, but the team plans to be careful with him in camp.
Middleton had been bothered by pain in his left ankle since spraining it in February, so he underwent arthroscopic surgery to fix the issue. He also had an arthroscopic procedure on his right ankle, which he sprained during the playoff loss to Indiana.
Middleton, 33, was limited to 55 games last season, averaging 15.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists per night. He played just 33 games the year before, and the Bucks will need him to have a strong bounce-back season to have a chance to compete for a title.
There’s more from Milwaukee:
- In a recent appearance on Marshawn Lynch’s “Get Got” podcast, Damian Lillard reflected on the surprise of being traded to the Bucks last September after spending the summer expecting to be headed to Miami (hat tip to The Sports Rush). “I’m in a great situation, but when I had my mind thinking I was going, you know, one place and then I ended up going somewhere else, it changed that experience for me,” Lillard said, adding that he doesn’t have any regrets about how the situation played out.
- On the one-year anniversary of the three-team Lillard trade, Jim Owczarski of The Journal-Sentinel looks at how it affected the Bucks, Trail Blazers and Suns to see if a clear winner has emerged.
- Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo offered pointers to incoming Rutgers freshmen and projected 2025 lottery picks Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper on Friday during a workout arranged by Nike (Twitter link).
- The Bucks organization is mourning the loss of Joe Wolf, who served as an assistant coach with the G League’s Wisconsin Herd. “Throughout his life, Joe touched many lives and was a highly respected, adored and dedicated coach and player across the NBA,” the team said in a statement. “His well-regarded talent was instrumental for the Bucks and Herd over eight years with the organization, including as a player and coach.” Wolf, 59, was a standout at North Carolina and played for seven teams during his 11-year NBA career.
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