Khris Middleton is heading back to the Washington Wizards. The 34-year-old veteran forward agreed to a three-year, $17.6 million contract, executing a complex six-team sign-and-trade that routes him from the Dallas Mavericks back to the nation’s capital.
The transaction involves a complicated web of assets moving between the Wizards, Mavericks, LA Clippers, Detroit Pistons, Milwaukee Bucks, and Memphis Grizzlies. To make the money work, Washington is shipping guard D’Angelo Russell and future second-round pick considerations to Memphis, according to Sportsnet.
Middleton’s return to D.C. comes with heavy irony. He initially joined the Wizards at the 2025 trade deadline, only to be flipped to Dallas just five months ago as the primary outgoing asset in the blockbuster deal that brought Anthony Davis to Washington. Now, he slides right back onto the roster, a reunion TSN noted completes a bizarre circular journey for the three-time All-Star.
Over 63 combined games last season with Washington and Dallas, Middleton averaged 10.2 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.8 assists. Dallas doesn’t walk away empty-handed. Orchestrating the deal gave the Mavericks a $5.6 million trade exception. They are already looking at targets like Santi Aldama and Tarik Biberovic to round out their rotation.
For Washington, the math is deliberate. Signing Middleton to an average annual salary of roughly $5.8 million allows the front office to deploy their Bi-Annual Exception. It gives them a vital roster-building mechanism without resorting to veteran minimum contracts.
The move highlights Washington’s total commitment to immediate contention. By securing a player with career playoff averages of 20.6 points and an NBA championship ring, the Wizards are aggressively assembling a veteran win-now core. Middleton slots in alongside Davis, Trae Young, Deandre Ayton, and the highly anticipated 2026 No. 1 overall pick, AJ Dybantsa.