The Washington Wizards currently hold the worst record in the league which puts them in the lead to land the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming NBA Draft.
Considering the position the team is in with their current rebuild, everyone has their eyes on the Wizards heading into the offseason as it's become increasingly evident that the team is in line for a busy next couple of months.
The obvious focus and hope for the Wizards front office as the offseason looms is that Duke's freshman sensation Cooper Flagg declares for the draft and Washington can indeed land the No. 1 overall pick.
And while there's plenty of uncertainty there, one thing that seems likely is that Washington has multiple decisions to make when it comes to the future of the veterans on the team, more specifically Khris Middleton.
Khris Middleton expected to pick up player option
Heading into the offseason, the biggest question around the Wizards most expensive player. Middleton has a $33.35 million player option and according to recent reports from HoopsHype's Michael Scotto, it's widely expected that the veteran forward does indeed plan to pick up his player option.
It makes perfect sense for Middleton to pick up this deal as he's on the back half of his career and if he were to decline the option, there would be little to no chance that any team would offer to pay him nearly the same amount on the open market.
So what does this mean for the Wizards?
Well, Washington will have a couple of optons moving forward with the veteran. The most obvious choice is to explore Middleton's value on the trade market as contending teams may inquire about his availablity, especially if he can stay healthy and prove he has plenty to offer down the stretch for the Wizards the rest of this season.
If the market for Middleton is lackluster over the offseason, Washington could simply choose to bring him back heading into next season allowing him to continue serving as a veteran leader for the team's young core, including whichever prospect they land in the upcoming draft.
The Wizards would then be able to revisit Middleton's market ahead of the trade deadline and see if any playoff teams may be desperate enough to take on the forward's contract. If not, Middleton could stick around for all of next season, though this is likely the most unlikely outcome.
Nonetheless, expect there to be plenty of rumors as the offseason nears about the Wizards, their available veterans and Middleton's future.