Mavericks already face a glaring Khris Middleton problem set to wreck their rebuild

The Dallas Mavericks obviously need to lose as many games as possible down the final stretch of the season to improve their lottery odds to land a favorable lottery pick, but their roster may be too good to do this. And this includes newly-acquired wing Khris Middleton.

Dallas acquired Middleton from the Washington Wizards as part of the Anthony Davis trade, and he has been a pleasant surprise for the Mavericks through his first four games with the team. He is averaging 16.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 0.8 steals per game while shooting 40 percent from downtown as a Maverick, and he is the main reason they won their most recent game against the Indiana Pacers.

Middleton finished with 25 points, seven rebounds, seven assists, and one steal while shooting 11-15 from the field, and he was the Mavericks' most consistent source of offense despite being on the team for just a few weeks. With Cooper Flagg out, Middleton is one of the only players on the team who can consistently create their own shot, and this was evident in that game.

Khris Middleton could single-handedly ruin the Mavericks' tank

He was scoring from all three levels, and his nine points, three rebounds, and two assists in the fourth quarter helped lead the Mavericks to a win. Middleton didn't miss a single shot in his nine minutes of fourth-quarter action, and he clearly still has a lot left in the tank. Unfortunately, this is why the Mavericks are in a bit of a pickle when it comes to his future with the team.

Dallas is giving him the choice on whether he'd like to finish the season with Dallas or get bought out, and his choice here could leave a major impact on the rest of this season.

Dallas needs to lose as many games as possible over the final 26-game stretch of this season, but they need to win as many games as possible next season since they don't own their first-round pick. Giving Middleton as many reps as possible this season is important, especially since they're going to need more shooting this offseason and have to test out Middleton to see if they want to re-sign him, but it could hurt them at the same time.

Dallas needs to play players like AJ Johnson and Miles Kelly as much as possible for the rest of the season if they truly want to bottom out in the standings, and every night that Middleton plays puts the team at risk of winning games that will seriously impact the standings. Mavericks fans can't expect the team to lose every game, but Middleton is the type of player who can put his team in a position to win games on his own.

The Mavericks would be much better off by playing their young guys to prioritize development and tanking, but Middleton needs a chance to show off his skills if he is indeed pursuing a buyout. Even if he doesn't want to get bought out and wants to remain in Dallas, he likely wants to prove to other teams that he is worth more than a veteran's minimum contract as he enters unrestricted free agency this summer.

There are multiple moving parts when it comes to Khris Middleton and his future in Dallas, but the team has to focus on its standing in the lottery to close this season. If they don't, teams like the Chicago Bulls and Memphis Grizzlies will out-tank them, and Dallas could pick outside of the top eight in the draft.

This is the last thing the Mavs need as they enter the Cooper Flagg era.