The Financial Reasons Behind Khris Middleton Staying With Dallas Mavericks

Khris Middleton is the biggest reason why the Dallas Mavericks were able to complete the Anthony Davis trade with the Washington Wizards, as his expiring $33.3 million contract helped make the finances work. And that expiring deal was very attractive to the Mavericks, who wanted to clean up their books for the future.

Middleton could've agreed to a buyout with the team this year to join a contender. NBA insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fischer reported that the Denver Nuggets and San Antonio Spurs were among the teams interested had he been bought out, and the Mavs left it up to Middleton on whether or not he wanted to stay or go. March 1st's deadline came and went, and Middleton is still with the Mavericks, and there may be a financial reason why.

Sticking out the end of the season gives Middleton some more flexibility this summer, as it keeps his Bird Rights intact, which allows a team to re-sign a player, even if it means going over the salary cap. His current larger salary also means he'd be eligible to sign a larger contract this offseason, rather than if he had been bought out. If he were re-signed, he also wouldn't cut into any exceptions the Mavs have, such as the mid-level.

His Bird Rights remaining in place could be big for a lot of reasons. The Mavericks could decide to keep him around for another season or two, as he has familiarity with head coach Jason Kidd from their time together with the Milwaukee Bucks, and they like him as another mentor on the wing for Cooper Flagg, but he also still has some gas in the tank.

However, they could also use his Bird Rights to explore sign-and-trade options to either get another asset or trade for a player they'd prefer more. Either way, it gives both sides, the Mavericks and Middleton, some more flexibility.

Had Middleton been bought out, it would've been more likely for him to sign a minimum contract next summer, or a much smaller deal that eats into teams' exceptions.

Feb 26, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Khris Middleton (20) brings the ball up court against the Sacramento Kings during the first quarter at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Dallas Mavericks Bought Out Someone Else From Anthony Davis Trade

With Middleton deciding to stick around, the Dallas Mavericks decided to waive Tyus Jones instead, who they went the extra mile to trade for from the Charlotte Hornets after re-routing Malaki Branham. According to reports, the Mavericks would've preferred to sign Jones last offseason over D'Angelo Russell, but Jones wanted a little more than they could offer, so they decided to kick the tires on the guard when he was clearly available via trade.

However, it was clear that his days as a primary backup point guard were long gone. It wasn't that long ago that he guided the Memphis Grizzlies to a strong record without Ja Morant, but he couldn't make it as the lead guard with the Phoenix Suns, was bad with the Orlando Magic, and couldn't stand out in a Mavericks' guard rotation that only had Brandon Williams and the now-converted Ryan Nembhard.

They wouldn't have been able to convert Nembhard to a standard NBA contract without waiving someone, and they told Nembhard they would earlier in the year. Jones had to be the odd man out.

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