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Khris Middleton on being traded to Washington: ‘As far as what was going through my mind when it happened, of course a lot of emotions, man. Pissed, angry, happy, sad, all the above. One thing I was happy about, I got to drive home after I got traded. Went to one of those rental car companies, hopped in a car and drove three hours back home. Spent a day or two there and then went to D.C. once everything got finalized. On that drive, it was just a lot of reminiscing from day one since I got there all the way up until losing against Indiana in the playoffs. It was a ride I think I needed, some time by myself where you can sit back and reflect on things and get things out of the way.’
Another player new to the Top 5 in this distinction, like James, is veteran swingman Khris Middleton, who signed a three-year, $17.61 million contract this offseason to rejoin the Washington Wizards. Middleton's new deal will pay him $5.59 million next season, after his previous deal had him earning $35.09 million last year, for a pay cut of $29.50 million, now the fourth-largest ever.
Jake Fischer on Russell Westbrook: ‘I truly have not heard any updates on him since we’ve heard before the opening bell of free agency that the Wizards were interested in him. But also, ever since Washington managed to sneak that Khris Middleton sign-and-trade into a six-team multi-team trade to bring Middleton back to D.C. after that first half of last season, I have been ruling out the Wizards as a Russell Westbrook team. So really I don’t have a home for him right now, I don't believe Sacramento wants him back, I don’t think he wants to come back there.’
Back in Washington, Khris Middleton is eager to guide an intriguing roster brimming with young talent and dynamic additions. "Definitely a talented group," Middleton said of the Wizards. "Young guys have made a huge jump development-wise since they’ve been drafted. Year three for a lot of them... throw in the No. 1 pick, AJ (Dybantsa), also—really excited to see what this team can do."
Looking back on a career spanning more than 800 regular-season games and over 13,000 points, Middleton isn't taking a single moment for granted. "It’s going by fast. Time is coming to an end, but each year I’ve been enjoying it. That is what it's about," Middleton reflected. "To be heading to my 15th year, unbelievable— something I’ve been working for a really long time and still working towards."
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The past year has brought plenty of roster shuffling, including a brief detour through Dallas right as his family was settling into the nation's capital. But as Middleton sees it, that’s just the nature of the business. "This was my face too when I found out," Middleton said, laughing as he recalled finding out about the trade just minutes before it went public. "We all found out a couple minutes before it went live."
The Dallas Mavericks announced today their participation in a six-team trade involving the Detroit Pistons, L.A. Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, Milwaukee Bucks and Washington Wizards. Dallas acquired forward Santi Aldama and the rights to forward Tarik Biberović from Memphis along with guard Marcus Sasser from Detroit. Dallas traded guard AJ Johnson, a top-20 protected 2030 first-round pick (via Golden State) and a 2029 second-round pick (via Houston) to Memphis. The Mavericks also sent forward Khris Middleton and a 2033 second-round pick to Washington as part of a sign-and-trade deal.
Michael Scotto: Khris Middleton signed a 3-year, $17.61 million deal. It’s fully guaranteed for the ‘26-27 season ($5.59 million), partially guaranteed for the ‘27-28 season ($909K guaranteed of $5.87 million), and non-guaranteed for the ‘28-29 season, as part of a sign-and-trade to the Wizards.
Yossi Gozlan: The Wizards remain elite at using trade exceptions before they expire. Their $13.4 million trade exception (expires today) fits Deandre Ayton ($8.1 million) & Khris Middleton ($5.6 million) to give him exactly three years, $17.6 million. This allows them to create two new TPEs.
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Marc Stein: By helping Khris Middleton get to Washington via sign-and-trade, Dallas can acquire Santi Aldama and Marcus Sasser without touching its $20.3M TPE from the Anthony Davis trade or its $15M MLE. The Mavs can then formally sign Tarik Biberović after the six-team trade is official.
Bobby Marks: A nice job by the Mavericks front office on this deal. Because of the Khris Middleton sign-and-trade, Dallas will preserve the big $20.8M Anthony Davis trade exception. To break it down on a smaller scale: Middleton/AJ Johnson for Santi Aldama
Grant Afseth: One thing I learned about Khris Middleton from people with the Washington Wizards is just how valuable he was as a mentor. He proved to be a helpful presence for Cooper Flagg during his time in Dallas. It's easy to see why the Wizards wanted him back.
Shams Charania: Just in: Free agent Khris Middleton has agreed on a three-year, $17.6 million deal with the Washington Wizards via sign-and-trade, agent Mike Lindeman of Excel Sports Management tells ESPN. The 14-year veteran returns to D.C. where he spent parts of last two seasons as a leader with championship presence.