Brogdon has missed 34 and 18 games the last 2 years. Part of why Middleton was signed and kept as a Buck was to keep Giannis happy. Part of his value comes from keeping the best basketball player on the planet (yup) wanting to stay on the Bucks. Giannis may or may not stay, but by all accounts, if the Bucks don't re-up Middleton, their chances of re-signing Giannis would be hindered. It's not like MIddleton is some 34 year old who's going to be ancient when he hits the end of this deal. He's 28, and having one of his best seasons, if not best season ever, by PER or WS/48. He's doing everything and playing good ball on both ends of the floor. The Bucks are 27 - 4.... 27 and 4 !!! and have Mids, Lopez and Bledsoe signed to multi-year deals, and if they make it to the Finals, have a REALLY good shot of signing Giannis to a super-max deal. The core of the team that's absolutely destroying everything in it's path will be together for the next 3-4 years and we're complaining that Midds is overpaid? Horst has more than shown that he's fairly shrewd and can find the pieces he needs to work within the very tricky NBA salary cap. I know it was said many many times before. The Bucks choice was to sign and keep Middleton, or not spend the money. Their wasn't another option. It wasn't let Middleton walk and sign some free agent to replace him. It was sign Middleton, or lose out. Yes, he's overpaid, but it was lose him or pay him, pretty much... period, end of story. And Brogdon doesn't bring what Middleton brings to the floor.