Wizards' Khris Middleton breaks silence on Bucks trade with defiant declaration

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The Washington Wizards (9-45) have been relying on accomplished veterans to lead their young core since last season, and Khris Middleton is one of the newest examples of that. However, the former NBA champion won’t limit himself to the mentorship role.

Middleton opened up about his intentions with the Wizards after Wednesday night’s practice, via Bowie TV Sports’ Carita Parks.

Khris Middleton on his message to Wizards fans: "I am going to be here as a mentor, 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." @dbltakesports#ForTheDistrictpic.twitter.com/uGT0Lra0mf

— Carita Parks (@CaritaCParks) February 20, 2025

“I'm here to be a basketball player. I'm here to win games, here to help win games however I can,” the 33-year-old 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."

The Milwaukee Bucks swapped Middleton for Kyle Kuzma as a part of a larger deal with Washington on Feb. 5, just ahead of the NBA trade deadline. The move made sense for the Wizards, as Kuzma publicly lost patience with their rebuild, and they landed rookie guard AJ Johnson in addition to a pick swap.

While Middleton is past his prime, he’s still useful on the court when healthy. The 6-foot-7, 222-pounder is averaging 12.6 points on 51.2 percent shooting with 4.4 assists and 3.7 rebounds across 23.2 minutes per game this season. He’s only played in 23 contests due to injury, but he’ll make his Wizards debut against the Bucks (30-24) on Friday night, via The Athletic’s Josh Robbins.

Although losing helps Washington secure a high lottery pick in the upcoming draft, winning also keeps the locker-room morale up, especially with the youngsters. It’s a balancing act that the organization will continue to juggle throughout its rebuild, but playing competitive ball consistently can only mean good things.

The key is to see steady improvement on the way to the top, and Washington has shown that. After a winless November, the Wizards are 3-4 in February, and all of the losses have been competitive despite missing Middleton, Marcus Smart, and even Alex Sarr for a couple of them. Expect the team to keep playing its best with all three now healthy and in the fold.

Khris Middleton sees Wizards mentorship as two-way street

It’s no secret that Washington is built around young talent. Sarr (19), Bilal Coulibaly (20), Bub Carrington (19), and Johnson (20) are all under the legal drinking age, while Kyshawn George is 21. Middleton was struck by their energy, via Monumental Sports Network’s Bijan Todd.

Interesting note from Khris Middleton's first media avail:

The learning process between him and the Wizards' young core is a two-way street. He teaches them how to make it to his level in the NBA, they have taught him the team's system and operating style.

Very cool. pic.twitter.com/JQ4w5MvoKg

— Bijan Todd (@bijan_todd) February 20, 2025

“Yeah, energetic young guys. I mean we’ve got the youngest guy I think in the league with A.J. Johnson so…I’ve been with him all season long so…” the Texas A&M alum said. “It’s definitely a reminder that the league’s getting younger every year and you have so many talented young players coming in each year [who] are trying to figure [it] out.”

“I’m in year 13…I’ve been an All-Star, been an Olympian, been a champion, been in the G League also,” he continued. “So I’ve been through a lot of different stages through my career. I hope I can help them and I hope they can help me also.”

It’s one thing for Middleton to express confidence in his resume and leadership ability, but it’s another for him to look to the young guys for knowledge as well. It might sound funny coming from someone as experienced as him, but it makes sense given that he now has to get used to a new organization after 11-and-a-half seasons in Milwaukee.

“Right now it’s just their system…how they do things, how they operate on and off the court. Just trying to get used to a different setting,” Middleton said about what the youngsters can teach him. “Seeing how they run practices, seeing how the whole building moves around. I haven’t been in a new setting in a very long time so it’s cool to see.”

“One thing I will say that…you know they’re great. You can tell everybody’s on the same page,” he continued. “Everybody is trying to build that next step, which I’ve seen before. I think they’re all taking the right steps, the attitude is where it needs to be. Hopefully, in a couple of years, they can say, ‘That year was tough but we learned a lot from it.'”

The last part could be described as the organization’s mission statement for this season. Combine that with the humility that Middleton shows by being willing to learn from young players, and the Wizards couldn’t have found a better locker-room role model at the trade deadline.

The 2012 second-round pick also emphasized the importance of staying calm amid adversity.

“I still have a lot to learn about them but playing against them [the young core], but seeing the couple games I have seen so far, they are talented,” he said. “I mean you can just tell the experience isn’t there…they’re in a lot of games, you can tell they have those lapses or stretches where, you know, their inexperience shows and that’s part of it. I’ve been through that stage many times and they’re just going through it right now. The main, important thing is to not get frustrated. Just keep learning from it, keep trying to build.”

It’ll certainly be easier to do so with a steady hand at the wheel like Middleton.

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