After the acquisition of ninth-year big man Deandre Ayton on Friday, I think most Wizards fans had settled on the additions to the roster being through for now.
The Wizards added another player to the roster on Tuesday when veteran Khris Middleton signed a deal to return to D.C, just five months after he was traded in February as part of the Anthony Davis deal.
You could argue on paper that this move makes an already crowded forward room that the Wizards have even more packed.
On top of the No.1 overall pick in AJ Dybantsa, they’ll also be returning Kyshawn George, Bilal Coulibaly, and Will Riley, and that is not even mentioning young players who will be excited to crack the rotation like Justin Champagnie and Cam Whitmore, and from afar, you could see how bringing back a past-their-prime Khris Middleton would seem like a questionable fit.
However, the former 3-time All-Star and 2021 NBA Champion will quickly fit in as an integral part of the Wizards' rebuild, and it mostly won’t have anything to do with what he does on the court.
Middleton will be the perfect mentor for the young guys
I couldn’t think of a better player for the likes of Dybantsa, George and Riley to learn from than the accomplished but low-maintenance Middleton, who seems to understand his role and is not fighting against Father Time to prove he’s still a star like we’ve seen in the past from some guys.
He already has experience in the role too, like his stints in Washington last year alongside George, Riley, Coulibaly, and Tre Johnson, or after the trade next to last year’s No.1 pick, Cooper Flagg, in Dallas. Back in Washington, with a talented but very unproven group of wings, Middleton’s advice and experience will be greatly needed for a team looking to compete right away.
Middleton gives the Wizards the steadiness they need
Even outside of the bump he’ll be a part of for the development of some of the young guys on the roster, Middleton still has some game left to him that any team that hasn’t made the postseason in 5 years should be at least intrigued to add.
Shooting 39% from three and 91% from the free-throw line in 29 games following the trade from the Wizards last season, the 15-year vet has still shown an ability to be a stable and dependable player on and off the court that will only be a plus to this team who’s in desperate need of stability.
Adding a veteran voice, who can lead by example, is the exact signing the Wizards needed to make this offseason.
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