Khris Middleton
Playing in the shadow of Giannis Antetokounmpo has put Khris Middleton in the category of ‘severely underrated’. Though he’s made the All-Star team for the past two seasons, I’m not sure Middleton will ever get the credit he deserves.
Middleton is a guy that would have interested the Jazz when he was a free agent, but the Bucks were able to re-sign him to a massive contract. That contract (five-year, $178 million) makes it hard to trade him, but if you both sides get creative, you could figure something out.
I will say this — I doubt the Bucks would want to break up what they have. They are championship contenders and making a move like this is a major risk. Acquiring Gobert, though, would take them to another level defensively, which is scary.
The Jazz, meanwhile, would have a new top scoring option in Middleton. He would a lot of pressure off of Donovan Mitchell, who does a ton of creating for the Jazz. Middleton can get buckets from anywhere on the court, and he’s a positive defender as well.
Milwaukee is an interesting trade partner here. Part of me wonders if the Jazz could look elsewhere on the roster (Eric Bledsoe, Donte DiVincenzo) for a deal. If they were able to add Gobert without losing Middleton, you might as well hand them the championship now.
Middleton may be a dream target for the Utah Jazz, but probably not the most realistic one either. Still, it’s worth a call to the Bucks.