To the surprise of no one, the Milwaukee Bucks agreed to re-sign Khris Middleton just a few hours after free agency opened early Wednesday. The Bucks, armed with significant cap space after a series of moves over the past few months, rewarded Middleton for a breakout season with a five-year, $70 million contract.

Oddly enough, Middleton’s contract mirrors the one Brandon Knight received from the Phoenix Suns. The Detroit Pistons traded Middleton and Knight to the Bucks in the Brandon Jennings deal two years ago and they signed for a combined $140 million over five years within hours of each other.

The Bucks planned to match any offer Middleton, who made less than $1 million this past season, received and the mid-June trade that sent Ersan Ilyasova to the Pistons cleared enough cap space for them to keep him from even exploring the free agent market. He would have drawn interest from teams closer to a title had he accepted such meetings.

Middleton played so well in 2014-15 that Milwaukee couldn’t let him leave. They signaled their loyalty at the trade deadline when they dealt Knight in the trade that also netted them Michael Carter-Williams. They weren’t going to pay both and there was no need to do so given the construction of the roster.

Middleton almost certainly could have received a four-year max offer from another team, but he instead signed a five-year deal for a little under the max with a player option for Year 5.

Grade for Middleton: B+ 

The first thing you think of when you hear Middleton’s name is shooting. He averaged 16.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.8 steals per 36 minutes while hitting 40.7% (11th in the league) of his threes last season. His effective field goal percentage (53%) ranked third among returning players in Milwaukee’s roster -- behind John Henson and Jared Dudley. 

While he was among the NBA’s best three-pointer shooters, Middleton’s offensive game became more balanced in his third season. The average distance of his shot attempts moved in nearly a foot to 15.3 feet as the percentage of attempts that came from three decreased (from 34% to 30.8%). A majority of those additional attempts came from midrange. That proved to be a decent swap. Middleton shot a respectable 44.9% from 10-16 feet.

Middleton is also an excellent player defensively. Milwaukee’s defense is built on length and he provides that on the perimeter with the ability to guard at least three positions. His own defensive versatility allows Jason Kidd to mix-and-match with the rest of his roster, allowing for varying defensive looks. Employing an ameba-like scheme is a nice luxury, but it’s an even bigger advantage in the postseason. A place the Bucks hope to be often and for long periods of time.

His ability to play well on both ends resulted in an elite real plus-minus (6.07). Only nine players ranked ahead of Middleton in RPM this past season -- Stephen Curry, James Harden, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Kawhi Leonard, Russell Westbrook, Chris Paul, Draymond Green and DeMarcus Cousins. That’s some really, really good company and the $70 million the Bucks gave him is a sign that the new ownership, as we expected, is more analytical than their predecessor. 

Grade for Bucks: A

A relatively small sample size is only criticism you can justify. Middleton emerged this past season and his role was most recently increased after Knight was dealt in mid-February. Regardless, there is no reason to believe the soon-to-be 24-year-old can’t deliver on the promise he flashed. The balance the Bucks employ will keep Middleton from having to shoulder the offensive load of a superstar. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jabari Parker and Carter-Williams are all even younger than Middleton -- Giannis and Jabari especially so. They will have shared roles in the offense.

Middleton’s deal also looks very affordable when stacked up against the agreements Knight and DeMarre Carroll (four-year, $60 million from the Toronto Raptors) received on the same day. Middleton is a better all-around player than both and Carroll’s average annual salary is slightly higher.

When you take the rising salary cap into account, spending $70 million for five seasons of peak Khris Middleton will turn into a bargain.