"Khris Middleton's arrival in Washington immediately made it clear that the Wizards decision to land him as the center piece to the trade that sent Kyle Kuzma to Milwaukee was more about the opportunity to offload Kuzma than it was to land the veteran. Sure, Middleton's veteran leadership was a selling point and the idea that he could turn things around and finally show that his injury history was in the past could benefit Washington on the trade market."
"However, that never came to fruition with Middleton struggling in D.C. more than he did anything positive since arriving ahead of last year's NBA trade deadline. As a result, it was evident that the Wizards would have an extremely difficult time moving off the forward's lucrative contract, especially after opting in to his player option this offseason. Between his inability to stay on the court, lackluster play and sizable contract, a deal just didn't seem to be realistic."
The Washington Wizards lost their regular-season opener at Milwaukee and fell to 0-1. Several positive developments emerged despite the defeat. Rookie Tre Johnson displayed promising play, suggesting he could be a long-term lottery pick success. Second-year Kyshawn George continued to emerge as a young building block. Newly acquired Cam Whitmore impressed coming off the bench in a new role. Veteran Khris Middleton produced a strong game that may materially change perceptions of his fit and trade value in Washington after a previous stretch of injuries, limited production, and a sizable contract he had already opted into.
Read at Wiz of Awes
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