Khris Middleton may be on his way out. The Mavericks are reportedly offering the veteran forward a buyout, opening the door for a playoff push elsewhere.
DALLAS - It speaks to the reality of what the Dallas Mavericks really ultimately received when they foolishly traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers a year ago.
The "name'' prize in that deal? Anthony Davis.
But on this deadline, AD was traded to the Washington Wizards, and in the deal that sent Davis (and others) to D.C., the "name'' prize acquired by Dallas was Khris Middleton.
And now he might be leaving, too.
To be sure, the main motive with Davis was to get his future money off the books. That was accomplished in part because most of the pieces that came to Dallas - including Middleton - have contracts that expire this summer.
But now comes another shoe to drop. Middleton, 34, is being offered the chance to negotiate a buyout with the Mavericks front office, a move that would give him the opportunity to join a contender for a playoff run.
According to colleague Marc Stein, the team has left it up to Middleton as to whether he would like a release.
The offer seems like a gracious one, I suppose. (To pull this off, he’ll need to be waived by March 1 to be eligible for the playoffs with another club.)
And to those who still don't understand "Organic Tanking''? The offer seems like a dumb one. After all, Middleton is an accomplished guy, a three-time All-Star and a 2021 NBA champion with the Bucks.
And in his short time here? The 6-7 forward is averaging 16 points, 4.8 rebounds and three assists per game.
Dallas needs him to win.
But Dallas - sitting at 20-36 - doesn't need to win, doesn't want to win, really ... choosing to instead sink in the standings in order to better its NBA Draft Lottery chances this offseason.
The Mavericks will be trying to fix this thing this summer, with Cooper Flagg and healthy Kyrie Irving and a premium pick. And in the end, Middleton has very little to do with any of that.