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The Bucks Are Trading Khris Middleton For Kyle Kuzma
Getty Image Milwaukee pivoted from a pursuit of Jimmy Butler to Kyle Kuzma of the Wizards.
The Milwaukee Bucks have been in rumors for weeks regarding trade packages that would see them part ways with former All-Star forward Khris Middleton. They were reportedly in the mix for Jimmy Butler, but as deadline week arrived, buzz had shifted to a different target in Washington: Kyle Kuzma.
On Wednesday morning, the Bucks made that move a reality, sending Middleton to the Wizards to bring Kuzma back to Milwaukee in a deal that gets them a bit younger but also dips them below the punitive second apron. The full deal, as reported by Shams Charania and Chris Haynes, is below.
Bucks get: Kyle Kuzma, Patrick Baldwin Jr., 2025 second round pick
Wizards get: Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, 2028 first round pick swap rights
It seems pretty clear that the Bucks did not have much faith that Middleton, who has been limited with knee injuries over the past few years, would get back to the level that made him such a crucial piece of the Bucks 2021 championship squad. This season, he was averaging just 12.6 points, 4.4 assists, and 3.7 rebounds per game, but was doing so on strong efficiency (51.2/40.7/84.8 splits). Now they bring in Kuzma, who like Middleton has one more year on his deal but will be owed more than $10 million less, and will hope being on a contender can get him going.
Kuzma is having the worst season of his career in Washington, averaging 15.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game on the hapless Wizards, with some truly horrific shooting splits (42.0/28.1/60.2, all career-worsts). Kuzma has been frustrated with the situation in Washington this season — a year after turning down an opportunity to get traded to Dallas — and now gets to join the Bucks to play between Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Milwaukee will be banking on being on a contender lighting a fire under Kuzma that gets him back to being a helpful player.
Now that they are under the second apron, the Bucks can make more moves if they’d like without as much difficulty, and figure to remain a team to watch through the deadline. The Wizards, meanwhile, manage to still get a future pick-swap and only take on big money for one more year with Middleton’s player option despite selling as low as possible on Kuzma.
