Celtics Reportedly Interested In Milwaukee Small Forward Khris Middleton
BOSTON (CBS) -- Chances are the Celtics won't be landing Kevin Durant or another top-tier free agent this offseason.
So Danny Ainge has begun to scour the trade market ahead of Thursday night's NBA Draft, and has reportedly reached out to the Milwaukee Bucks to discuss a deal surrounding small forward Kris Middleton. According to ProBasketballDraft.com, he's even dangling that No. 3 pick on Thursday night.
A bit of #NBADraft chatter: Boston has discussed 3 and a contract for Khris Middleton. Danny Ainge wants to add a scorer. #Celtics
— Joe Kotoch Real Estate (@luxuryagentchi) June 21, 2016
A 6-foot-8 swingman, Middleton would be the scorer Boston has needed the last few years. He averaged a career-high 18.2 points per game to lead Milwaukee last season, doing so on 44 percent shooting from the floor and 40 percent from three-point range. The 24-year-old is a career 40 percent shooter from beyond the arc, and his offensive output has increased in each of his four NBA seasons.
A second-round pick by the Detroit Pistons out of Texas A&M in 2012, Middleton signed a five-year extension with the Bucks prior to last season. He is under contract for three more seasons at an average of $14.2 million per year (like Isaiah Thomas, his salary actually goes down each year of the deal) and holds a $13 million player option for the 2019-20 season.
While he isn't a big star like Jimmy Butler or DeMarcus Cousins, Middleton is certainly an intriguing target for Boston as the draft gets closer. It's just a matter of what else the Bucks (who hold the 10th pick on Thursday night) want in addition to that third overall pick and a player off the Boston roster.