Bucks' Khris Middleton: Expects to play Opening Night

Middleton (knee) said Thursday that he expects to be ready to play during the Bucks' regular-season opener against the 76ers on Oct. 26 but also said that could change, Eric Nehm of The Athletic reports.

Middleton didn't participate in the live portion of Thursday's workouts but took part in individual drills. Coach Adrian Griffin said Middleton hasn't faced any setbacks and is still on track, while the 32-year-old echoed that optimism. While Middleton didn't want to set a specific date for his return to game action, he said he's "very close." Middleton has spent the past few months recovering from knee surgery that he underwent shortly after the Bucks were eliminated in late April. While the team will likely continue to exercise caution leading up to the regular season, the plan is for the small forward to be ready to suit up for Opening Night.