Anyone who thinks of the year 2021 and thinks it wasn't that long ago ought to refresh themselves on some of that NBA season's premier storylines. Notably, Khris Middleton and Deandre Ayton exited those NBA Finals as two of the most prominent winners of the playoffs; even if Ayton's Phoenix Suns fell to Middleton and his Milwaukee Bucks in six games, they each departed that postseason as two of the sport's more investment-worthy supplementary stars.
Jul 14, 2021; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton (22) during game four of the 2021 NBA Finals against the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports
A lot can change in five years. Neither of those two previous franchise centerpieces are still on the teams they once reached the Finals with- in fact, they're together under the same umbrella as two of the newest members of the 2026-27 Washington Wizards , where they'll look to put an old rivalry to bed in the name of their shared page-turning.
Ayton, in particular, has taken the time to soak in the absurdity of his Middleton partnership, admitting himself to hassling his older counterpart on their obvious shared history.
When asked about any relationship he had to show for himself with Middleton over the half-decade since his Suns succumbed that fateful 2-0 Finals lead, he kept things playful , joking that "well, he took my ring, that's about it."
Ayton took a few more seconds to wax poetic about that missed opportunity before going into Middleton's strengths as a leading presence on the team. And while the former Buck predictably revealed minimal remorse in his foiling Ayton's championship dreams, confirming that "I'd rather me take his ring than he take mine," the returning Wizard understands the veterans' place on the roster as well as anyone.
Jan 31, 2024; Portland, Oregon, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton (22) drives to the basket during the first half against Portland Trail Blazers center Deandre Ayton (2) and guard Anfernee Simons (1) at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect
The two well-traveled frontcourt options will pad Washington's upcoming depth, a strength they've rarely imposed on the league before opting to pad their extensive young corps with proven professionals. And that's exactly the impact that the two former Finals participants plan on making, even if they aren't promised the same prestige starting roles as Trae Young and Anthony Davis .
The younger Ayton will prepare for his first ever full-time bench role, having started all but seven games over a mostly-healthy eight-year career , while Middleton prepares for his own straddle between decorated starter and helpful reserve. Even if he won't be automatically handed the touches he's historically used to, he's familiar-enough with the way Washington does business to the point that he was comfortable willingly returning to D.C. in a summertime sign-and-trade.
All Media Day signs point to his factoring into the bench unit to come as a regularly-utilized scoring wing, just as Ayton's own rebounding and rim-finishing skills promise to consolidate the size-needy depth at center. They're each embracing life as role players tasked to play into more specific niches than ever before, a dual-adjustment that's destined to challenge the veterans' abilities to meet the team where it matters.
There was a time not too long ago that asking a 4x All-Star like Middleton to stick to part-time tough shot-making while limiting Ayton to screens-and-rolls off the bench would have sounded like a criminal mismanagement of assets. And make no mistake: employing so many qualified names to back up the young stars is a luxury that most newer Wizards fans haven't ever known, but the pair of cheap swings wouldn't be nearly as valuable without their joint commitments to aiding a developmental situation from the margins- especially with such high-level exploits and run-ins lining their resumes.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nba/wizards/onsi as Wizards Veterans Look to Put Rivalry Aside in Preparing for Partnership .
