On Wednesday, the Milwaukee Bucks traded one of the greatest players in franchise history, Khris Middleton, to the Washington Wizards for Kyle Kuzma and Patrick Baldwin Jr. They also sent rookie AJ Johnson to the Wizards as part of the deal.
Over the last few days, there had been rumblings that the Bucks were working on a deal that involved trading Middleton for Kuzma, and fans were not too thrilled about it. So far this season, the former NBA Champion with the Los Angeles Lakers is averaging 15.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 2.5 assists while shooting 42/28/60 from the field.
These numbers are well below those that he put up last season, when he averaged 22.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game while shooting 46/34/78 from the field.
In 23 games this season, Middleton is averaging 12.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game while shooting 51/41/85 from the field.
Will Giannis Antetokounmpo Leave the Milwaukee Bucks Now that Khris Middleton Is Gone?
For years, Giannis Antetokounmpo has made it plainly clear that as long as the Bucks continue to compete for NBA Championships, he will stay in Milwaukee.
A since deleted social media post, however, has many Bucks fans wondering if he feels Milwaukee is truly committed to winning after sending Middleton to Washington:
Giannis envisioning his future with the Rockets in this deleted tweet pic.twitter.com/x2MpSvVKvk
— Bucks Lead (@BucksLead) February 5, 2025
As one can see from the post above, Giannis posted a red circle with a white circle along with a thinking emoji. This post had fans wondering if he is eyeing a trade to the Houston Rockets, Chicago Bulls, or even the Miami Heat.
The two-time NBA MVP has, as mentioned, since deleted the post, which was made shortly after Middleton was traded to Washington.
Of the trade, Giannis had this to say per Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
“I know it’s business, but for me, Khris is my brother. I’m going to have a relationship with him after basketball. It kind of hurts, but at the end of the day, I understand the business side of things and I’m still going to show up to work and do my job until it’s my time to dip.”
“Until it’s my time to dip.”
Does that mean when it is time for him to retire? Or does it mean he sees a time coming soon when he will request a trade himself because his vision does not align with the front office’s for the direction the team should go?
The Milwaukee Bucks Are Under Serious Pressure to Win an NBA Championship
The fact of the matter is that the Bucks have both Giannis and Damian Lillard under contract for the rest of this season and the 2025-26 season. Lillard has a player option for 2026-27, while Giannis does not have a player option year until 2027-28.
Newly acquired Kyle Kuzma is under contract until 2026-27.
With these three players under team control for the rest of this year and next season, Milwaukee’s general manager, Jon Horst, must be feeling the pressure to build a winner. If the Bucks fail to perform up to their standards next year, Lillard could decline his option in 2026 and become a free agent.
If he does that, well, it is anyone’s guess as to what Giannis will do.
More Milwaukee Bucks News from Wisconsin Sports Heroics
- Bucks Fans Get Emotional as 3x All-Star Khris Middleton Traded to “a Team Going Nowhere”
- “Life Comes at You Fast;” Bucks Star Bobby Portis Reveals Devastating Reason for 6-Game Absence
- Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo Wins Huge Individual Award for 11th Time in His Career
- Bucks Receive Huge News About Bobby Portis Ahead of Game vs Hornets
- Giannis Breaks Silence on Khris Middleton Trade; “For Me It’s Bigger than Business”
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