Speaking to reporters on Monday for the first time since last week’s trade deadline, Bucks general manager Jon Horst said the decision to trade Khris Middleton to the Wizards was the “hardest transaction” he has made during his career as a front office executive, according to Jamal Collier of ESPN.
Middleton, who had been with the Bucks since being acquired from Detroit during the summer of 2013, made three All-Star teams during his 12 season with the organization and was a key part of the team that won a championship in 2021.
“I’m incredibly close with Khris personally, his family,” Horst said on Monday, per Steve Megargee of The Associated Press. “I probably have more Middleton jerseys in my house than anything and will still have more Middleton jerseys in my house than anything.”
Last week’s four-team trade saw the Bucks send out Middleton, 2024 first-round pick AJ Johnson, Delon Wright, a 2028 first-round pick swap, and cash in exchange for Kyle Kuzma, Jericho Sims, and a pair of second-rounders.
The deal significantly reduced Milwaukee’s overall salary, moving the team below the second tax apron, though Horst said that wasn’t a mandate from ownership. He believes the move will allow the Bucks to remain in contention in the present and future.
“It’s still the awesome responsibility to try to take this franchise and maximize the window that we have now as best we can,” Horst said. “What we think gives us the best chance to win, and figure out how to continue winning going forward. There’s a very narrow set of opportunities that we felt that we could do that, and this was one of them.”
Middleton has battled injuries in recent years and missed more games (112) than he played (111) from the start of the 2022/23 season to the time of the trade. However, Horst claimed the veteran forward’s availability wasn’t a driving factor in his decision to make the deal.
“Collectively, I think we’re deeper in the spots we needed to be deeper,” he said, according to Collier. “This gave us an opportunity to diversify a little bit, to kind of put money and talent and roster spots in other places where I thought we needed help.”
Kuzma is four years younger than Middleton and has been healthier too, though he’s having a down year this season. His shooting percentages of 42.0% from the field and 28.1% on three-pointers with the Wizards would have easily been career lows, and he averaged just 15.2 points per game prior to the trade after putting up 21.7 PPG in his first two years in D.C.
As Eric Nehm of The Athletic relays, Horst said the Bucks “strongly believe” that Kuzma remains in his prime and will play better than he did in the first half of this season. Milwaukee’s GM also lauded the veteran forward for his ability to move the ball, attack in transition, and serve as a secondary rim protector on defense.
Horst, noting that the Bucks made multiple deadline moves and also brought in Sims and Kevin Porter Jr., made it clear that he doesn’t want to directly compare Kuzma to Middleton.
“This isn’t a Khris or a Kyle comparison, although that’s the easy thing to do,” Horst said. “It’s the team before the trade deadline and the team after the trade deadline, and to be determined with an open roster spot, that we felt like in totality we positioned ourselves to have a better run this year. That doesn’t do anything to diminish the three-time All-Star, Olympian, NBA champion, pillar in the community, everything that Khris Middleton was for this franchise for over a decade.”
Never should have gotten a 3/102M all but guaranteed he would be dealt bc the wheels were already falling off.
They did him a solid, thank you for your services contract, but at the expense of competing for another chip.
It did give them salary to match contracts, so they got lucky Washington was out there with a serviceable swap out.
They did the extension to lower his AAV and because they would lose his salary slot. He had a player option he opted out of so really a two year extension at a lower number. He also showed that he had some in the tank like in last years playoffs. But after double ankle surgery this offseason the wheels finally came off…
AAV doesn’t matter in the NBA.
I would rather have a almost broken Middleton than a clueless Kuzma. Kuzma is just going to piss off Giannis with his zero basketball IQ
All they needed was a upgrade at SG starter but whatever bye Giannis. He will leave now because the team is trash
This is 1000000% correct…
The way some people talk about Khris Middleton is insane to me. Incredibly underrated, apparently
It’s disrespectful. They should feel ashamed. Like Bulls fans booing the late J Krouse and his wife had to endure it. She was crying. He build the Bulls. Without him no rings
Built*
and Krause broke them up too, and Reinsdorf allowed him to break them up over pride
Yes you are right and he did break them up. The beef should be with MJ and Krouse. Not the ignorant fans
Worst trade deadline ever. Are you not entertained.
Silver drooling over this one. Foaming at the mouth
You give up Giannis’s number one guy. Win a ring. No loyalty. Prince could have backed Middleton up. Start Middleton and see how he is doing then have Prince take whatever amount of minutes or starts if Middleton is out. Put Middleton on minute restrictions.
All you needed was a veteran defensive SG to start. You had Detroit with cap room to trade to if needed. Or you could have traded Portis, Pat Con and 1st or 2nds for a SG starter. Maybe then look for a better backup PG than Delon Wright and Ryan Rollins(waive the bum) and C signing. then you pick up Kevin Porter. Another evil player. Fire the GM and coach
Bucks add two rotation players. They got better deeper. Also added Porter. Hopefully he shows up a grown adult. Kuzma is in a playoff run. Should be motivated. Sims needs a new contract. Porter needs to get his life in order. Players should be motivated.
I think Bucks did well. Kuzma is solid as a third scorer. Bucks will need to jell. They will be tough out in playoffs.
Remember start of season when everyone buried the Bucks. ………. Alive again.
Oh buddy… if you thought trading Middleton was hard, the day Giannis asks out is going to put you in the psych ward.
The trade was a god trade for the team. Khris still has a lot of skills. He was a guy who could always get a shot off on just about anyone. I hope he gets healthy and has a chance to end his career here, down the road. He is going to be a great coach one day, if he chooses that path. Man I’ll miss watching him.
They definitely gained financial advantages moving forward, and a Brook’s $23M is coming off the books. They still have Giannis, Dame and Kuz for 3 years together. That’s not the worst case scenario. Ty Smith is an interesting player with size. He has shown some ability with the outside shot, and rebounds well when he’s has mop up minutes and in the summer league.
They have a chance to add a player in the off season
I know Washington was high on AJ Johnson, but he has absolutely no clue where a regulation basket is located on a basketball court. Athleticism in droves, awful shooting. Wright was terrible. Younger cheaper and more athletic and better on defense at two positions. Porter is a really athletic defender. Maybe he got his head straight. Quietly helped the Clips weather the injury storm they faced. He might end up being a bit of a steal.
That deal worked.