Reports: Bucks Trade Khris Middleton to Wizards for Kyle Kuzma

On By Littum

Kyle Kuzma (left) and Khris Middleton are reportedly acting in a reported swap.

Milwaukee Bucks has entered into a reported agreement prior to February 6th Trading deadline.

Per More Reports Employs Bucks the former All-Star tip Khris Middleton for Washington Wizards for Forward Kyle Kuzma. The wizards also send Patrick Baldwin Jr. forward to Milwaukee, while Bucks deals with the guard AJ Johnson to the wizards.

Wizards also receive a 2028 swap from the first round from Milwaukee, while Bucks gets a 2025 election in the second round.

Bucks receives

Wizards receive

Bucks are 26-22 into Wednesday evening’s match against Charlotte Hornets (19:00 ET, NBA League Pass) and slipped out of the top four in the east after losing three straight matches for the first time since the beginning of November.

After the match in Charlotte and a road game in Atlanta on February 7, Bucks will play 12 of their next 18 games at the Fiserv Forum.

Kuzma has seen his score take a dip this season after sending back-to-back campaigns with at least 21 ppg from 2022-24. He average 15.2 ppg, 5.8 RPG and 2.5 Acts, while shooting 42% overall and 28.1% on 3-Pointers. However, the 29-year-old is a few years younger than Middleton (33) and slides into a Milwaukee Frontcourt with All-Star and former KIA MVP winner Giannis Antetokounmpo.

This season, Middleton is an average of 12.6 points, 3.7 rebounds and 4.4 assists per year. Match while shooting 51.2% overall and 40.7% on 3-Pointers. Middleton, an important part of Bucks’ championship team in 2021, has been slowed down by injuries since this race and emits its lowest scoring average since the 2014-15 season.

Middleton helped the United States win gold at Tokyo Games later that year and was someone Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo has been emerging for years.

“It’s definitely a plus that has Khris left,” Antetokounmpo said earlier this season when Middleton was again available after ankle problems. “Man, he leads us to the next level with his IQ, decision making, shot, defense.”

Washington opened the season in the hope of being more competitive with Kuzma, Jordan Poole and the new center of Jonas Valančiūnas along with No. 2 overall pick Alex Sarr in the mixture. However, Wizards are an NBA-Variet 8-41 and recently ended a 16-match’s losing series when they defeated Minnesota Timberwolves on January 30.

Last season Kuzma already rejected a reported potential trade to Dallas to stay in Washington. He signed with Wizards in the summer of 2023 and brought a reported four -year deal of $ 102 million.

Brooklyn Nets chose Kuzma with No. 27 selection in 2017 draft, but he was traded for Lakers on draft evening. He became a significant part of Lakers ‘young list both before and during LeBron James’ arrival.

After enjoying most of the starting role in his second season, Kuzma then handled a bench crisp in her third and fourth season due to Anthony Davis’ presence. Lakers treated Kuzma and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope for Wizards in a 2021 Femhold Agreement in a Femhold

Middleton appeared on only 33 games in 2022-23 and 55 games last season due to various injuries. A sprained medial safety tape made him miss Bucks’ last 10 playoffs in 2022.

However, H.E remains productive when it’s healthy. Middleton average 15.1 points, 5.3 assists and 4.7 rebounds in 2023-24. When Antetokounmpo missed Bucks’ first round of playoff losses to Indiana Pacers, Middleton took on a bigger role and average 24.7 points, 9.2 rebounds and 4.7 assists during the six-game series.

The move gives Bucks some financial flexibility as it gets them under the second apron – which means in the short term, some other trading options may be available to them before the deadline.

Information from Associated Press was used in this report.