National Basketball Association

Milwaukee Bucks: Khris Middleton To Undergo Surgery For Torn Hamstring

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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With training camp only days away, the Milwaukee Bucks received the worst possible news as Khris Middleton was ruled out for six months thanks to a torn hamstring.

On Tuesday, as Giannis Antetokounmpo officially put pen to paper on an extension, everything seemed bright and cheerful for the Milwaukee Bucks. Just one day later, the picture now looks very different.

First reported by Shams Charania of The Vertical, shooting guard Khris Middleton has suffered a torn hamstring and will be required to undergo surgery.

That news was confirmed shortly after Charania’s initial report, by the Bucks themselves, as they released an official statement on the team’s website.

The team confirmed the need for surgery, and that Middleton is likely going to go under the knife in the coming week.

Milwaukee Bucks guard Khris Middleton suffered a left hamstring injury in preseason workouts that will require surgery, General Manager John Hammond announced today. Middleton is expected to be sidelined for approximately six months, with surgery planned in the next week.

Also included in the statement was a reaction from general manager John Hammond to the disappointing news.

“We’re obviously disappointed for Khris and our team, but injuries are an unfortunate part of the game. We’ll rely on our overall roster depth to help us while Khris is out for a significant period of the season.”

As not only one of the Bucks’ key, core pieces, but the most complete of the team’s young stars, Middleton was vital to everything good that the Bucks did last season. The importance of his loss can’t be overstated, and as such, there are rumors that the team may have to make further adjustments heading into the season.

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports’ The Vertical explained that the Bucks will now explore trade talks for wings.

Re: @ShamsCharania report, Bucks making calls today to inquire about wing deal to compensate for Middleton loss, sources tell @TheVertical.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojVerticalNBA) September 21, 2016

As not only the Bucks’ best shooter, but also a strong contender for being the team’s best defender, they are going to be very big boots to fill.

Milwaukee has already added wing players such as Orlando Johnson, J.J. O’Brien and, earlier on Wednesday, Jabari Brown to the team’s roster heading into training camp, but it would be no real surprise if they search out a more proven commodity to shoulder the responsibility of filling Middleton’s minutes too.

Malcolm Brogdon was drafted as an experienced combo guard who fit those criteria in college, although it would seem like way too much to ask of the former Virginia man in his rookie campaign. Having struggled last season, Rashad Vaughn will offer little comfort either.

One thing’s for sure, the Bucks now have some serious thinking to do. For now, all Bucks fans can do is to wish Middleton a full and speedy recovery.