Khris Middleton
Veteran forward Jared Dudley will return to the Milwaukee Bucks, opting in to the final year of his contract.
Dudley had a Tuesday deadline to inform the Bucks if he was opting out or exercising his player option in the last year of his 5-year, $4.25 million deal for next season.
Dudley averaged 7.2 points and 3.1 rebounds in 72 games for the Bucks last season, most of it off the bench. He shot 46.8% from the field and 38.5% from three-point range.
Free Agency
NBA free agency is officially underway and the Milwaukee Bucks expect to be an active participant.
The Bucks have two primary goals. They’ll be looking to sign restricted free agent Khris Middleton and add a quality big man to the mix.
Dallas center Tyson Chandler and Detroit’s 25-year-old forward Greg Monroe would appear to be two of the favorites on the Bucks wish list.
Bucks coach Jason Kidd played with Chandler on the 2011 Dallas NBA championship team and then again with the New York Knicks during the 2012-’13 season.
The Mavericks are courting L.A. Clippers big man DeAndre Jordan. If they land him, Chandler would be looking for a new home.
Monroe is scheduled to meet with four teams, including the Bucks. The 6’11 Monroe is looking for a new team after Detroit added power forward Ersan Ilyasova in a trade with the Bucks.