The Dallas Mavericks have mostly sat on their hands in free agency, as they're the lone team not to have made any signings or agreed to any deals. One of their free agents, Marvin Bagley III, signed a one-year deal with the Denver Nuggets, and now, Khris Middleton is on the move. According to ESPN's NBA insider Shams Charania, Khris Middleton has agreed to go back to the Washington Wizards on a three-year, $17.6 million deal. The intriguing part is that it's a sign-and-trade, with the Mavericks opening a $5.6 million trade exception, more than anything, which should be just large enough to fit Marcus Sasser's contract, or they can aggregate it in the Santi Aldama trade to keep their full $20 million exception opened from the Davis trade. This is going to be part of a larger 6-team deal, in which the Mavs will acquire Santi Aldama, Tarik Biberovic, and likely Marcus Sasser. If the Wizards are sending anything back to the Mavs, it hasn't been reported yet. Even if the Mavs could steal a second-round pick out of it, that would be a win. Just in: Free agent Khris Middleton has agreed on a three-year, $17.6 million deal with the Washington Wizards via sign-and-trade, agent Mike Lindeman of Excel Sports Management tells ESPN. The 14-year veteran returns to D.C. where he spent parts of last two seasons as a leader… pic.twitter.com/iZh6XrXMoc— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 8, 2026The Wizards are sending D'Angelo Russell and a second-round pick to the Memphis Grizzlies as part of this large trade, though. Middleton helped the Mavericks win some games down the stretch, which is not what they needed. They were never in postseason contention and should've just completely tanked, but Middleton is still good enough to help a contending team. The Wizards, who now have Anthony Davis, Trae Young, and first overall pick AJ Dybantsa, are looking to do just that. Dallas acquired him at the trade deadline as part of trading Anthony Davis, with his large expiring contract being a valuable asset to a Mavs cap sheet that was looking dire. The Mavericks had the option to buy out his contract, but he decided to stay to keep his Bird right open in case of a sign-and-trade, and that's exactly what ended up happening. Apr 8, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Khris Middleton (20) against the Phoenix Suns at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectTrade Grade for Mavericks Sending Out Khris Middleton: B+It's important to separate all trades from each other with the Mavericks. If you backdate any trade to Luka Doncic, it's always going to be an F. However, the Mavs were able to get something back from a veteran free agent in a sign-and-trade. Any time you can do that, it's a win, no matter what the return is. Knowing that this is part of a larger trade where the Mavericks will be getting back Aldama, Biberovic, and likely Sasser, that's even better. The only thing that could've made this an A is getting back any draft compensation, but it doesn't look like that's the case. Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on X for the latest news.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow