Bucks Trading Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson to Wizards for Kyle Kuzma, Patrick Baldwin Jr.: Sources

Milwaukee Bucks and Washington Wizards have accepted a trade that will send three-time all-star-tip Khris Middleton and Rookie-Guard AJ Johnson to the wizards in exchange for Kyle Kyzma and Patrick Baldwin Jr., said league sources.

The teams also discuss, including drafts of the second round of the agreement, the sources say.

Trade Middleton, one of the most floors in the Bucks story, is a massive feature of the franchise, although the 6-foot-7 Middleton has been limited this season. Middleton, 33, has only played 23 games this season and average 12.6 points, 3.7 rebounds and 4.2 assists at 23.2 minutes per game. Battle as he continues to work back from offseason procedures on both ankles.

But Middleton’s place in Bucks’ history books is undeniable. Middleton was the team’s crunch-time operator and coupling manufacturer in the team’s run to 2020-21 NBA Championship, the team’s first title since 1970-71. He spent the last 12 seasons with Bucks and first ranks in franchise history in 3-points Makes, third in points, third in assists and seventh in rebounds.

Kuzma, 29, has a high-level playoff experience. He was a key role player in Los Angeles Lakers’ race for the 2019-20 NBA Championship. After his trade to Washington in 2021, he had been one of the wizard’s top opportunities on offense and led the team to score last season with 22.2 points per year. Match.

But this season, the rebuilding guides had diminished their role and emphasized a system with several ball traders, including Point Guard Jordan Poole and the second year’s Swingman Bilal Coulibaly. Injuries, including a rib-cartilage tower that kept him out almost a month, also limited Kuzma’s effectiveness. Kuzma also struggled to stomach the wizard’s almost historic levels of losing this season.

6-9 Kuzma goes to a Bucks team with an established Pecking order with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard in the key roles. Told a league source The athletic The fact that Bucks conducted extensive studies of Kuzma in recent days, and team officials believe that Kuzma can help them play rapidly on offense and be more effective in the transition.

The Athletic has live coverage of the deadline for the NBA trade deadline in 2025.

Johnson, 20, is a rookie that was the 23rd election last June’s draft. Although he has played sparingly for Bucks this season, he has received extensive playing time for Bucks’ G League -associated company, the Wisconsin flock.

He is a 6-foot-5-guard, he has the height and the positional size that wizards leaders and coaches appreciate, and would fit Wizards’ timeline for their still young core group, with the 19-year-old rookie Big Alex Sarr and 19 -Year-Gammel Guard Bub Carrington, both taken in the first round of the 2024 draft, 20-year-old winged Bilal Coulibaly, taken seventh in 2023 and 21-year-old Frem Kisshawn George, the third first round of Washington elections in last year’s draft.

Moving Middleton and Johnson in exchange for Kuzma and Baldwin cuts approx. 8.5 million dollars discount on Bucks’ wage table and take them under the second apron, which opens greater watch flexibility this season.

If Bucks wants to make more movements in this mowing season, they will still be forbidden to take more money back than they send out in any deal, but they can now collect contracts in 2-for-1 agreements as long as they do not It brings one dollar more in wages than they send out.

With Kuzma on the books for next season instead of Middleton, Bucks has also created greater flexibility that goes on because Kuzma will earn approx. $ 12.5 million less than Middleton next season. Middleton has a player setting for the 2025-26 season worth $ 34.0 million, while Kuzma receives $ 21.5 million guaranteed next season and $ 19.4 million guaranteed in the 2026-27 season.

Baldwin, 22, was born and raised in Wisconsin and participated in Sussex High, a Milwaukee suburb, before playing a season for his father, Pat Baldwin, at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee. He is in his third NBA season. At 6-9 he has more of a finesse game that is offensively to stretch the floor. He played sparingly as a rookie with Golden State and the last two seasons in Washington. In October, Wizards rejected their fourth-year team option at Baldwin in the 2025-26 season. Recently, he has played in some matches for Wizards’ G League associated company, Capital City Go-Go, in an attempt to stay sharp.

(Photo: Stacy Revere / Getty Images)