Less than 30 hours before Thursday’s 3:00 PM deadline, the Milwaukee Bucks finally splashed into the trade market by sending Khris Middleton to the Wizards for forward Kyle Kuzma, ESPN Shams Charania reports. Included in the trade are AJ Johnson and a pick swap courtesy of the Bucks, with Patrick Baldwin Jr. and second round draft capital coming back from Washington.
Breaking: The Milwaukee Bucks are trading Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson and a pick swap to the Washington Wizards for Kyle Kuzma, Patrick Baldwin Jr. and second-round draft compensation, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/hCOzqqqUXE
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 5, 2025
Assuming Kuzma takes a spot in the starting five, the Bucks’ lineup now looks something like this:
PG Damian Lillard: 25.0 PPG, 7.3 APG, 4.6 RPG
SG Andre Jackson: 4.0 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 1.5 APG
SF Kyle Kuzma: 15.2 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 2.5 APG
PF Giannis Antetokounmpo: 31.8 PPG, 12.2 RPG, 5.9 APG
C Brook Lopez: 12.0 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 2.0 BPG
How does Kuzma change the picuture, and where does Milwaukee’s starting unit rank among the league’s best?
How Kyle Kuzma Trade Elevates Milwaukee Bucks Roster
While Kuzma is obviously not a massive upgrade over Middleton, the 6’9 “wing” does provide two things the Bucks could use badly: size at forward and, most importantly, availability. 29 years of age versus Middleton’s 33, Kuzma has played at least 60 games every season in his now 8-year career. For the Wizards in 2024-25, he has started 30 games averaging 27.7 minutes per contest.
None of this may sound impressive–nor is it, especially–but it is of great value to a team that had to move their third scorer to the bench due to injury management concerns. Simply put, Middleton hasn’t had the wheels this season to remain a starter. In his 23 games played (7 starts) he is averaging 23.2 MPG. He is scoring 12.6 PPG while contributing 3.7 RPG and 4.4 APG.
One area where Middleton clearly has the advantage is shooting efficiency. His 51.2/40.7/84.8 is a far cry from Kuzma’s 42.0/28.1/60.2. Bucks fans should keep in mind, however, that those numbers are career lows for Kuzma, who owns a 44.9 career FG%. In Milwaukee, where defenses will be concentrated on Giannis and Lillard, he should see some of the best looks he ever has.
Just as importantly, Kuzma can provide the volume scoring Middleton hasn’t. Even in a substandard season, he has equaled or eclipsed Middleton’s season-high 22 points 10 times. The prior two years in Washington, he averaged 22.2 and 21.2 PPG while shooting 46.3 and 44.8%, with higher rebound and assist figures than his 2024-25 numbers. While Middleton is no longer a viable third scorer, Kuzma clearly can be.
Bucks Are Among Challengers for a Top 5 Starting Lineup in the League–And They Just Improved Their Outlook for the Future
It seems fair to say that only the Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, New York Knicks and Oklahoma City Thunder now have clearly better starting lineups than Milwaukee–especially if you consider that Andre Jackson is essentially a placeholder and does not see as much playing time as the better bench guys.
The Denver Nuggets and Houston Rockets may have something to say about that ranking, but Milwaukee owns the star power advantage with the two-headed monster of Dame and Antetokounmpo. Obviously part of the bump in the Bucks’ ranking results from the fact that Kuzma will (hopefully–Doc, are you listening?) start whereas Middleton came off the bench.
But that’s really the crux of the matter. Calling the team them a top-five unit may seem like an overreaction–and maybe it is–but the fact that Kuzma is fit for a starter’s workload is an advantage of the trade that doesn’t appear in the statistical comparison.
That Milwaukee did not give up much in the way of draft capital makes the deal all the more impactful long-term. Kuzma is also younger than Khris, in both years and body, and has three seasons left on his contract. He makes $23.5M in 2024-25 and less than that each of the next two years–that isn’t cheap, but if he can get nearer to his 2023-24 form he will be well worth it.
By contrast, the Bucks were paying Middleton $31.6M, with $34M due in 2025-26. Bottom line, Kuzma is not only a better fit for the team’s championship aspirations this season, he also gives them a valuable asset for the future.
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