Is Khris Middleton's history with Jason Kidd a deal-breaker in possible reunion with Mavericks?

The Dallas Mavericks need to upgrade their roster this offseason, and The Athletic’s Tim Cato mentioned three-time All-Star Khris Middleton as a possible target (subscription required). Deandre Ayton was also mentioned as Cato noted that it is unclear if the players are interested in coming to Dallas.

Middleton is the ideal second star next to Luka Doncic. The 6’7 wing can defend multiple positions, score 20 points per game, and create shots. Middleton does not need the ball as he can space the floor and draws defenders away. He has become a three-time All-Star next to Giannis Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee, and the 31-year-old is an unrestricted free agent this summer.

Would he be interested in Dallas? Middleton has a previous relationship with current Mavs head coach Jason Kidd from his time with the Bucks that could impact his decision. What happened during their time together?

Is Khris Middleton's history with Jason Kidd a deal-breaker in a possible reunion with Dallas Mavericks?

Middleton was a second-round draft pick by the Pistons in 2012 that was thrown in a trade to Milwaukee after his rookie season. Brandon Jennings went to the Pistons with Brandon Knight and Viacheslav Kravtsov heading to the Bucks.

Middleton’s first season in Milwaukee was Jason Kidd’s first year as head coach. The Hall of Fame point guard helped the young wing blossom into a starter and key scorer for the Bucks. Kidd helped lay the foundation for Middleton becoming an All-Star and Milwaukee winning the championship in 2021, but the head coach was fired in Jan. 2018, and Middleton may have had something to do with it.

For his part, Middleton was nothing but complimentary about Kidd after his departure, including saying this to Sports Illustrated in 2018.

"It’s crazy, man. When you hear that you’re going to be coached by one of the greatest players of all time you’re going to be excited about it. When he was let go, I was hurt about it but it’s the business and I understand that. He was let go just like Larry Drew did the year before he came in. We just have to trust the owners, the front office, all the people who made that decision that they just want us to get to that next step. They want us to win a championship, and they felt like maybe a new voice or a new face could help us get there with Bud so hopefully it works out."

There were plenty of reasons behind Kidd’s firing in Milwaukee, and the Giannis biopic by Mirin Fader only brought it more to light. Things were rough in Milwaukee, but Middleton took his game to another level under the Hall of Famer.

Relationships can be healed, especially with time. Jason Kidd is a different coach than he was with the Milwaukee Bucks, and Khris Middleton is now a three-time All-Star. Would the 6’7 wing welcome a reunion? Dallas has made it clear that Kidd is their head coach moving forward, and that could prevent them from signing Middleton.

Will it make a difference? The Milwaukee Bucks crashed out in the first round of the playoffs, and they could be looking to make changes to their roster this summer. Does that mean Khris Middleton is on the move? Can the Dallas Mavericks land him? Stay tuned to find out.