Khris Middleton Injury Status For Bucks vs Magic

On Friday night, the 19-16 Milwaukee Bucks will look to earn their 20th win against the club that's immediately ahead of the team in the Eastern Conference standings, the 22-17 Orlando Magic.

But they may be doing that without a complete roster.

Former three-time All-Star small forward Khris Middleton, who's been newly demoted to the Bucks' bench by head coach Doc Rivers in favor of minimum-salaried 3-and-D forward Taurean Prince, saw his status for Friday demoted to merely probable while his team manages his recovery from a pair of offseason ankle surgeries.

Middleton, 33, has been available for just 13 contests this season. In those bouts, the 6-foot-7 Texas A&M product is averaging 12.3 points on .438/.385/.839 shooting splits, 4.8 assists and 4.5 rebounds a night.

The 6-foot-6 Prince, 30, has been averaging an incredibly efficient 7.3 points on .447/.443/.722 shooting splits, along with 3.9 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 0.9 steals per game.

Eight-time All-NBA Bucks power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo is also listed as probable to suit up through a right patella tendinopathy, eight-time All-Star point guard Damian Lillard is also seen as probable to suit up through a left calf contusion.

Two-way point guard Ryan Rollins has been downgraded to questionable to suit up through a non-COVID-19 illness.

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Young pieces AJ Johnson, Chris Livingston and Tyler Smith the only guaranteed absences from Milwaukee's standard roster. All three are on assignment with the Wisconsin Herd, Milwaukee's Oshkosh-based G League affiliate.

Meanwhile, the Magic are playing the second straight contest in a back-to-back slate of bouts, having gotten properly demolished, 104-89, by the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday.

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All-Star Orlando power forward Paolo Banchero and standout Magic small forward Franz Wagner both missed the contest with their lingering oblique strains, though it appears possible Banchero at least will be available in time against Milwaukee on Friday. All-Defensive Team starting point guard Jalen Suggs also sat. He is out indefinitely with a back strain, which has cost him the last two Magic games. Cole Anthony has started in his stead.

Elsewhere on the Magic roster, Franz Wagner's big brother Moritz has already been ruled out for the rest of the 2024-25 NBA season with a torn ACL.

In that defeat, forward Caleb Houston (14 points), center Goga Bitadze (15 points), shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (13 points), point guard Cole Anthony (12 pointd) and guard Jett Howard (10 points) stepped up to score in double figures.

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