Bucks Trade Khris Middleton To Wizards In Pursuit Of Title Contention With Kyle Kuzma

The Milwaukee Bucks are parting ways with a vital piece of their championship run in an effort to bolster their chances of winning another.

ESPN’s Shams Charania reports that the Bucks have finalized a trade, sending Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, and a pick swap to the Washington Wizards in exchange for Kyle Kuzma, Patrick Baldwin Jr., and second-round draft compensation.

After undergoing surgeries on both of his ankles, Middleton, who was instrumental in the Bucks’ 2020-21 championship run, is putting up 12.6 points on 51.2% shooting through 23 games this season – his lowest scoring average since his sophomore campaign in 2013-14.

The Bucks have added Kuzma to play alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo after his four-year stint with the Wizards. This season, Kuzma is averaging 15.2 points on 42% shooting from the field while struggling from three at 28.1%.

Antetokounmpo strongly backed Milwaukee’s move to acquire Kuzma, who remains under contract through the 2026-27 season.

Middleton’s contract includes a $34 million player option for the 2025-26 season, giving him the choice to enter unrestricted free agency in 2026. As a result of the trade, the Bucks are now around $300,000 below the second apron.

Selected 23rd overall by Milwaukee in the 2024 NBA Draft, Johnson has played in just seven games this season, totaling 20 points. In the G League, he’s averaging 3.7 points and 4.8 assists over 10 games with the Wisconsin Herd.

Drafted in the first round by the Golden State Warriors in 2022, Baldwin Jr. has already been traded twice in his young career. He played 22 games for the Wizards this season, averaging 2.1 points in just 4.6 minutes.

The Bucks, standing at 26-22, are the Eastern Conference’s fifth seed, while the Wizards, at 8-41, have the league’s worst record.