Milwaukee Bucks star Khris Middleton has undergone two successful arthroscopic surgeries to fix persistent issues during the postseason, according to league sources. The athlete.
Shortly after the playoffs, Middleton underwent surgery on his left ankle to address a problem he had been struggling with throughout last season. According to those sources, the procedure repaired some of the remaining damage from the left ankle sprain Middleton suffered on Feb. 6 when he landed on Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant’s foot while attempting to lay up a shot. Durant was fined $1 for the suspension.
“I can’t think of an ankle injury that was this bad,” Middleton said on March 6. “I mean, after it happened, I tried to play, run a little bit, see if it would get better. But it didn’t. It didn’t feel right.
“I went to the back, tried to reapply the tape, and as soon as I took my shoe off, it blew up. So, I had to stop it.”
In addition to that surgery, Middleton, 32, also needed a minor arthroscopy to clear up a persistent problem in his right ankle. That surgery was performed in mid-June.
Middleton was walking without pain or discomfort when he visited his teammates in Las Vegas for the Summer League tournament on Saturday afternoon. As for his recovery timeline, Middleton has already begun light work on the court, according to league sources. The athleteIt is expected to be ready for the start of the 2024-25 season.
The 12-year NBA veteran missed more than a month and 16 straight games with a left ankle injury before returning on March 17. Middleton played in 12 of the Bucks’ final 15 regular-season games with the three games he missed coming in back-to-back games where he was listed as out of action with a left ankle injury.
Despite a persistent left ankle issue, as well as a right ankle sprain he suffered 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 performances included a 42-point performance in Game 3, as he tried to lead the Bucks to a win without two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and with seven-time All-Star Damian Lillard limited to overtime, and a Game 5 win as the Bucks became the first team in NBA history to win a playoff game without their leading regular-season scorer.
Chris Mooney Middleton ties it up! pic.twitter.com/o27gvnfFhs
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) April 27, 2024
But on the season, Middleton averaged 15.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists in 27 minutes per game, playing in just 55 games. The three-time All-Star spent the first month of the season on a strict time limit as he returned to form in recovery from right knee surgery in May 2023 shortly after the Bucks lost in the first round to the Miami Heat.
This is another important season for the Milwaukee Bucks as head coach Dr. Rivers tries to figure out how to get the team back into title contention after Milwaukee lost in the first round of the NBA playoffs for the second straight season with health playing a major role. Antetokounmpo missed the entire series against Indiana, and Lillard also missed two games.
Middleton has two years remaining on a three-year, $102 million extension he signed with the Bucks last offseason, which includes a player option for the 2025-26 season.
(Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images)
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