Khris Middleton's honeymoon phase is already collapsing after Mavericks trade

When the Dallas Mavericks gambled by trading Anthony Davis last month, fans were unsure about the ramifications. Things, though, quickly shifted into Dallas' favor, as trade acquisitions Marvin Bagley III and Khris Middleton quickly exceeded expectations. The two veterans became key rotational players under Jason Kidd, making an immediate impact.

Middleton became a huge contributor in his first couple of games, finishing with 13 or more points in three of his first four games. He proved to be an offensive machine, as Dallas desperately needed someone to help take the load off Cooper Flagg and create their own offense. However, things have begun to cool down for Middleton, as he has struggled to replicate his early numbers.

Middleton's recent struggles leave the Mavericks searching for answers

Last week, Middleton had one of his best games with Dallas. The three-time all-star scored a season-high 35 points, which helped the Mavs dominate the Memphis Grizzlies. His scoring, especially in the fourth quarter, made all the difference. Middleton shot an outstanding 80 percent from the 3-point line and made 58.8 percent of his overall attempts. Things, though, have gone south since his breakout performance.

He is averaging 5.5 points per game while shooting 30.8 percent from the field and 23.5 percent from downtown over the last four games. The high that he was riding after arriving in Dallas is beginning to cool off.

It wasn't too long ago that Mavs fans were vying for Dallas to bring back Middleton this summer in free agency. The organization seemed on board, as co-interim general manager Michael Finley even expressed interest in a possible reunion. Dallas has every right to consider it, especially with how Middleton was dominating off the bench.

His strong performance against the Grizzlies seemed like a step in the right direction. Dallas was going to have a tough decision about Middleton's future, as the idea of bringing back Middleton seemed promising. However, the Mavs' forward's recent decline might force Dallas to reconsider bringing him back.

Middleton has been on a decline for the past four games. He has failed to mirror his numbers from his early days with Dallas, and his age is beginning to show. It doesn't help that his role has been decreased as well, but it's obvious that he hasn't been as effective in his minutes.

Middleton is trending downward at the worst time

Take his most recent game as an example, and it's clear Middleton is struggling. Against the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday, he scored seven points and shot 33.3 percent from the floor. The biggest eye-opener was his inability to create instant offense, and he missed four of his five attempts from inside the arc.

In his first game with the Mavs, Middleton proved to be a valuable option off the bench. He scored 13 points and shot 40 percent overall. It was a testament to what fans could expect from their new acquisition.

Things seemed promising: three games after his opener, he scored 25 points with seven rebounds and seven assists. Middleton, though, failed to keep up the production. He would score six points in the following game and miss all of his 3-point attempts.

It now seems Middleton's high-scoring performances are a thing of the past. The former Wizard can't seem to shake off his recent struggles, and it's something that might hurt his future with Dallas. The team will desperately need their newest forward to turn back the clock before he finds himself with a new team next season.

He has plenty of time to get back on track, but it's safe to say the flashes Mavericks fans saw at the beginning of his time in Dallas may not be coming back next season.