Bucks Injury Report: Khris Middleton Shockingly Ruled Out vs Heat

Just a shade over an hour before the Milwaukee Bucks are slated to tip off against the Miami Heat on Thursday night, former three-time All-Star Milwaukee small forward Khris Middleton has been ruled out as he manages an offseason bilateral ankle surgery.

Injury Update: Khris Middleton is out for tonight’s game vs. Miami. Giannis Antetokounmpo is available.
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) January 24, 2025

At least eight (soon to be nine)-time All-Star Bucks power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee's best player, will be available against Miami.

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The Middleton news comes as a bit of a surprise, although it's not totally unexpected. Milwaukee has been exercising caution all year with the 6-foot-7 former Texas A&M wing, as he strives to work his way back into shape.

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Middleton has been a shell of his former self this season. His averages are understandably worse than they were during his All-Star prime, given that he had been playing under a minutes restriction for much of the year, and is currently only notching 23.5 minutes a night. His shooting stats have been fairly efficient, but his defense has continued to slip as he ages and accrues new injuries.

Per The Athletic's Eric Nehm, Middleton had been in the midst of warming up on the Fiserv Forum court in anticipation of playing, before he was ultimately not cleared to play.

To be clear, both Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton were just warming up on the floor for the game, but they will still need to be cleared to play for the night. https://t.co/RxavOoEEZj
— Eric Nehm (@eric_nehm) January 24, 2025

Across just 18 healthy bouts for the 24-17 Bucks (seven starts), the 33-year-old has been averaging 12.6 points on .480/.377/.833 shooting splits, 5.1 assists, 3.9 rebounds, and 0.9 steals per game.

There's a reason the Bucks have opted to supplant Middleton with the man they ostensibly signed to serve as his backup, 30-year-old 3-and-D wing Taurean Prince: Prince is now a better defender, more capable of sticking with his man and still a solid 3-point shooter. Middleton is a more willing and versatile scorer, but Milwaukee head coach Doc Rivers clearly is prioritizing wing defense with this move long-term.

Elsewhere on the Bucks, reserve shooting guard AJ Green is on the shelf with a left quadriceps strain.

Infamously for the Heat, six-time All-Star small forward Jimmy Butler is serving the first contest of his second multi-game suspension from his own team this season. This latest absence will last for two games, stemming from Butler apparently being late for a team flight.

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