The Subtle Contributions of Khris Middleton to Washington Wizards

The days of Khris Middleton consistently dropping 20 points per game, making All-Star teams, and being one of the primary focal points of a team are behind him. Father time is close to proclaiming victory here, but just not yet. However, that doesn't mean Middleton can't provide value to a young Wizards team. At this stage of his career, Middleton should be viewed as a veteran bench leader and rotation connector. While the scoring has declined significantly from his All-Star days, he can still handle the ball, make the extra pass, hit open shots and stretch the floor, create mismatches in the midrange, and help organize a second unit. 

In 34 games with the Wizards last season, Middleton averaged 10.3 points, 3.3 assists, and 3.9 rebounds in 24.3 minutes per game, shooting approximately 43% from the field, 33% from three, and 84% from the free-throw line. Those numbers aren't going to jump off the screen, and neither will Middleton’s play, but Middleton showed several skills that can still help the Wizards in 2026–2027.

What Middleton Exhibited in 2025

One of Middleton's biggest strengths last season was his secondary playmaking. He averaged 3.3 assists in only 24.3 minutes, which translates to 4.8 assists per 36 minutes, while posting an 18.9% assist percentage. Middleton routinely made the right reads and proved to be a secondary connector last year with the Wizards. Having another experienced player who can help initiate the offense becomes valuable, especially in a roster filled with players who are still in their rookie contracts.

Middleton also averaged only 1.7 turnovers per game, giving him nearly a 2 to 1 assist to turnover ratio. His 14.7% turnover percentage shows that he was generally dependable enough to handle secondary creation responsibilities without being turnover prone. Middleton showcased his ability to run an action, attack a mismatch, or find a cutter. He didn’t need 15 shots every night to make an impact offensively. He was essentially the epitome of a low maintenance offensive player. 

Middleton also remained very solid from the free throw line, shooting 84.1% with the Wizards. His midrange game still showed signs of life last year as well.. Across his entire 2025–26 season (which includes his stint with the Mavericks after the Wizards traded him), about 25% of his attempts came from 10–16 feet, and he converted 45.8% of those shots. Middleton isn't beating defenders with his athleticism anymore. Instead, he's using his 6'7 frame and footwork to create opportunities. If a smaller guard got switched onto Middleton, the Wizards would occasionally throw him the basketball and allow him to take advantage of the mismatch.

His rebounding was respectable as well. Middleton averaged 3.9 rebounds in 24.3 minutes, or about 5.8 rebounds per 36 minutes. He posted a 13.8% defensive rebounding percentage, 3.8% offensive rebounding percentage, and 8.7% total rebounding percentage with the Wizards. Now none of those numbers are jaw dropping to say the least, but that's kind of the point with Middleton at this stage in his career. He's a connector who can contribute in several different areas, which includes rebounding, while not necessarily being elite at any facet of his game anymore. 

Another underrated showing from Middleton last year was his willingness to accept a smaller offensive role. His usage rate was only 19.6% with the Wizards, while his average time of possession dropped from approximately 2.3 minutes per game in 2024–25 to 1.5 minutes in 2025–26. That's valuable for this Wizards team that has Trae Young, AJ Dybantsa, Kyshawn George, who all expect to have the ball in their hands this upcoming year. There are multiple young players the Wizards will prioritize offensively, and Middleton won’t interfere with that development. He can space the floor, move the ball, and occasionally create without demanding that the offense run through him.

On the flip side, defense is a primary concern. Middleton averaged only 0.8 steals and 0.3 blocks with the Wizards last year. This equates to a 1.5% steal percentage and 1.0% block percentage, while his defensive box plus/minus was -1.4 during his Wizards stint. That doesn't mean Middleton can't survive defensively. He still has size, IQ, and years of experience, but the Wizards shouldn't be asking Middleton at this stage of his career to chase elite guards or consistently shut down opposing wings. 

Middleton also doesn't put much pressure on the rim anymore. He attempted only 2.0 free throws per game with the Wizards. His current offensive game relies much more heavily on jump shooting, passing, and positioning rather than consistently getting to the rim. The Wizards shouldn't expect Middleton to consistently create advantages through athleticism, and should instead rely on his savvy veteran game that plays the ideal connector role of the bench. 

Possible roles and expectations for the upcoming 2026-2027 season

So what should his role look like in 2026–27? Last season, Middleton spent about 92% of his minutes at power forward, essentially operating as a small ball four. That gives the Wizards more depth at both forward positions and provides more lineup flexibility. He can offer low maintenance offense, veteran decision making, size, rebounding, and secondary playmaking. 

However, in my opinion, Middleton's biggest attribute to the Wizards this upcoming season might be his veteran leadership and mentorship of the young nucleus. This is a roster with several players still trying to establish themselves in the NBA, and Middleton has experienced almost everything those players are trying to accomplish. Also, Middleton’s presence also creates legitimate competition. Minutes shouldn't automatically be handed to every young player simply because they're young and talented. Having Middleton available means those players have to earn their minutes, which is something that the Wizards front office have been harping about recently.

Will Dawkins recently spoke about the importance of adding that type of experience to the Wizards roster, saying, “Even when you look at the level of experience or games played with having champions in [Anthony Davis] and Khris Middleton and guys that were deep, deep playing in the June.” 

For a team that highly values leadership and mentorship, acquiring Khris Middleton was essentially a no brainer for the Wizards. His statistical production might not immediately grab your attention anymore, but his value to a developing roster extends beyond the numbers on the scoreboard. Like Dawkins said, “And we look forward to that because that creates opportunities for other people. But again, when you add Khris's mentorship and leadership and their experience, like that's really, really hard to quantify.”