Milwaukee Bucks’ Chris Middleton underwent surgery in early July to repair a torn wrist ligament, sources said.

Las Vegas – Milwaukee Bucks All-Star striker Chris Middleton He underwent surgery to repair a torn left wrist ligament in early July and is expected to make a full recovery and be back sometime near the start of the regular season, sources told ESPN on Tuesday.

Middleton, who turns 31 next month, averaged 20.1 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.4 assists in 66 games for Milwaukee last season and was selected in his third All-Star Game. He helped lead the Bucks – along with a two-time MVP Giannis Antikonmo And the Jrue holiday – In the 2020-21 NBA Championship.

Middleton missed the last 10 games of Milwaukee’s playoff tour last spring after spraining his medial collateral ligament in his left knee in the first round of the Game 2 series of the Bucks with the Chicago Bulls.

Milwaukee went on to lose in seven games to eventual Eastern Conference champions the Boston Celtics in the second round.

This off season, Bucks re-signed forward Bobby Portez and the guards Wesley Matthews And the Jevon Carter Added veteran variant Joe Engels In a one-year deal. Engels is unlikely to be ready to start the season after he ruptured his ACL in January while still with Utah.

Milwaukee has dealt with a string of injuries throughout the 2021-22 season, including in the center Brooke Lopezwho missed most of the regular season after undergoing back surgery.