Wizards' Khris Middleton Reveals Message Before Facing Bucks After Trade

Two weeks after a blockbuster four-team trade in which the Washington Wizards and Milwaukee Bucks swapped key players, the teams will face off Friday night in Washington. Khris Middleton will debut against his former team.

The Wizards have struggled significantly this season, standing at 9-45 with the worst record in the NBA. They have also lost 20 of their last 23 games. The team’s defense has been particularly porous, ranking last in the league by allowing an average of 122 points per game, with an offense that isn’t faring much better, ranking 27th at 108.6 points per game.

Middleton has embraced his role with the Wizards early on, between being a veteran mentor for a young, rebuilding team and still making an impact in his minutes. Washington has no shortage of young players who can benefit from learning from Middleton, including Bilal Coulibaly, Alex Sarr, Corey Kispert, Kyshawn George, and Bub Carrington.

“I’m here to be a basketball player. I’m here to win games, here to help win games however I can,” Middleton said. “I am going to be here as a mentor and whatnot, but I want Wizards fans to know that I’m not here just to be a mentor. I’m here to be a basketball player and compete out there and help win games.”