The Wizards and Bucks have agreed to a trade that will send Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, and a pick swap to Washington in exchange for Kyle Kuzma, Patrick Baldwin Jr., and a second-round pick, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
Josh Robbins and David Aldridge of The Athletic, who reported on the Kuzma/Middleton talks between the two teams on Tuesday, followed on up Wednesday to say (via Twitter) that Johnson, Baldwin, and draft assets were also involved in the structure being discussed.
Middleton, a Buck since the 2013 offseason, had a highly successful 12-season run with the franchise, earning three All-Star berths and playing a key role on the team that won a championship in 2021. However, he had been plagued by injuries in recent years, most recently undergoing surgeries on both ankles last offseason.
Middleton has been limited to 23 games so far this season and is averaging just 23.2 minutes per night, his lowest mark since his rookie year. While he has shot the ball efficiently (.512/.407/.848), the 33-year-old hasn’t looked like the same two-way impact player he was before his health issues.
By swapping out Middleton for Kuzma, the Bucks will acquire a forward who is four years younger (29), is on a more team-friendly contract, and hasn’t been afflicted as significantly by the injury bug.
However, Kuzma hasn’t had a great season either. His shooting percentages of 42.0% from the field and 28.1% on three-pointers are easily career lows, and he’s averaging just 15.2 points per game after putting up 21.7 PPG in his first two years in D.C.
Kuzma recently suggested in comments to reporters that he didn’t adjust well this season as the Wizards pivoted to prioritizing opportunities for their younger players. That shouldn’t be an issue in Milwaukee, where Kuzma is joining a potential contender led by superstars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard. According to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link), a vote of support for Kuzma from Antetokounmpo factored into the Bucks’ decision to move forward on this deal.
The Wizards nearly moved Kuzma at last season’s trade deadline, but were reportedly lukewarm on an offer from the Mavericks and decided not to accept it after speaking to him about it. A year later, he’s headed to the Bucks instead.
The financial aspect of this trade is an important motivator for Milwaukee as well. The combined salaries of Kuzma ($23.5MM) and Baldwin ($2.4MM) are well below that of Middleton ($31.7MM) and Johnson ($2.8MM), allowing the Bucks – who had been operating about $6.5MM above the second tax apron – to move below that threshold and generating substantial savings on their end-of-season tax bill.
Kuzma had a 15% trade kicker that would have increased his cap hit by roughly $2.5MM per season, but sources tell ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link) that the forward agreed to reduce that bonus in order to allow the Bucks to get below the second apron, giving them more roster-building options in the present and future.
Moving below the second apron will allow Milwaukee to aggregate salaries in any subsequent deals this week. It will also ensure that their 2032 first-round pick doesn’t become “frozen” (ie. unable to be traded) beginning this offseason.
With Baldwin’s salary coming off the books at season’s end and Kuzma replacing Middleton and Johnson on next season’s cap, the Bucks are now in position to potentially get out of luxury tax territory altogether in 2025/26, notes cap expert Yossi Gozlan (Twitter link).
The Wizards, meanwhile, will take on some extra salary this season and likely next season as well, since Middleton has a $34MM player option for 2025/26 that he’s expected to exercise. In return, Washington will get the opportunity to take a flier on a 2024 first-round pick in Johnson, who appeared in just seven games with the Bucks.
The Wizards will also gain the ability to swap first-round picks in 2028 with Milwaukee, reports NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link). Portland already has the right to swap its first-round pick for Milwaukee’s first-rounder in ’28, so Washington would subsequently have the opportunity to swap its own pick for whichever first-rounder the Bucks end up with.
Meanwhile, the Bucks will receive a 2025 second-round pick in the deal, Haynes adds. According to Eric Nehm of The Athletic (Twitter link), it’ll be the most favorable of the three second-rounders controlled by Washington. The language around those picks is convoluted, but it’ll almost certainly end up being the most favorable of the Detroit, Golden State, and Phoenix second-rounders. Those three teams are all currently within a half-game of each other.
Bucks are going all in for Giannis. Good trade. Middleton isn’t the same player he was before his ankle injuries.
Yeah, had to be done. Looks like they probably got under the second apron.
Patrick Baldwin is a Milwaukee kid. He ain’t gonna get minutes for the Bucks, but Milwaukee was probably his best landing spot as they may be his only shot at making a team next year. In high school, he was a big deal as a prospect, and was touted as a player who would do something in the league.
Nooooooooooo!
Gonna regret that one.
Making a trade just to make a trade?
Seems like a big downgrade to me.
Shooting 25% from deep and has been injured as much as Middleton this year.
Change of scenery will help, all that losing must get to some vets.
Going from a tanking team to a winner can do wonders for your health
Good move for bucks. Kuzma is a nice add, and Middleton is pretty much washed(most likely just a buy out with wizards).
Nope. He’s under contract next year for 34M.
Not a fan of this
When fans of both teams hate a trade, it’s probably a good trade.
So why trade for a old player just because you can get rid of money 1 year sooner? There better be good draft swaps coming.
They might really like AJ Johnson. He is super young so potentially lots of upside.
They must view him as a future star. Wizards don’t have good scouts so I wouldn’t trust their view.
Fair
Bye, bye, bye, bye Giannis
Miami is preserving 2026 cap space for a reason.
I liken Kyle Kuzma somewhat to Brandon Ingram.
Very talented player, but nobody wants them. Selfish.
You can see with this trade, that’s about all you can get for a player of this type. A washed up scorer.
I think that’s a little harsh on kuz. I mean he was a key contributor on a championship team. That says something.
This. Being the 6th man of a championship team isn’t like, superstar material. But he did his job and did it well. Just hates the endless losing of a lottery team, which I think is true of most NBA players.
Yes true but from what I remember, Kuzma saying in his early year to mid years is that he wanted to get paid.
Sounded like he didn’t care where, win or lose, pay me.
I’m going off of that and if he’s now a solid citizen and teammate, then good for him. I stand corrected.
Still, the return on the deal says something. This seems to be his value in the league because they’ve been trying to trade him forever It seems.
Not correct. The Wizards decided to not trade him last season after fielding offers, and Kuzma said that was fine because he was okay with sticking around if they didn’t like the offers. I imagine that between playing poorly, being injured, and a vastly shifted focus this year (because they actually have more than just Coulibaly to build around), he got frustrated. Certainly seemed that way after his performance against the Wolves and the press conference afterwards.
Every player wants to get paid. Nobody goes into the NBA to play for free. That’s literally a nothing-burger of a statement.
I think it says he’s been injured and hasn’t played well until very recently. Which is accurate.
Most psychoanalysis that people tend to do on players/teams really is kind of pointless, and I say that as someone who works in psychology as a career field. Most of the driving forces for trades are “what have you done for me lately”, and that’s true in all sports, and in both the directions of the players and organizations.
Kuzma was the one who vetoed the trade (not that he has a no trade clause) when they let him know there was a trade involving him.
Very good TallBaller thank you for the extra information.
The Wizards came to Kuzma and asked him if he wanted to get traded, because they weren’t getting great offers for him. He said he was fine with sticking around. He didn’t say “don’t trade me”.
Calls something a nothing burger then says guys wanna get paid and don’t play for free lol.
You do know there’s a range in there called a reasonable salary that all parties and the market agree upon?
The choice for an NBA player is not either max allowable or free lol.
No s*** dude. “I want to get paid” means “I want to get paid *what I’m worth*”. That’s why it’s a nothing-burger. Do you think players say exactly every single word needed to get the perfect context every time? Did Kuzma say max or bust? No, of course not. You’re taking that entire thing too literally.
And now you’re getting angry. This is so classic of someone who likes to argue for the sake of arguing.
Did you see above where I wrote, “I stand corrected?” I appreciate your information.
Disses people who do psychoanalysis, but provided psychoanalysis in his previous post. Me thinking you just like to argue.
“He Just hates the endless losing of a lottery team, which I think is true of most NBA players.”
Oh really.., what else does he think Mr. psychoanalyst.
Engaging with you last year was simply just an argument, back-and-forth with no substance admittedly from either side. I circled back and everything was great and you played fair. Now it sounds like you’re back to arguing with zero substance. Making up things. What a waste of time.
Gary you seem to be arguing for the sake of arguing here. You decided to hate Kuzma forever off one anecdotal comment he made and now others corrected you about how everyone else thinks he’s not the guy your hatred presents him as, so now you are doubling down and refusing to accept the reality that Kuzma isn’t a clubhouse cancer or as bad as you think. Now, he isn’t “a great player” or anything, but as stated, 6th man on a title team isn’t anything to sneeze at, if anything Andrew Wiggins is like, a hair better than Kuzma. Both guys not terrible, but both guys aren’t stars (and Wiggs had NO PLACE making that all-star team, GSW’s massive Chinese ASG voting populace got him over the line).
I did stand corrected above. It’s all good. I appreciate it Davey. Am I drunk again? Or is that only something you say on Saturdays?
Davey, I’m not sure you’re wise to align yourself with EonADS, but fair enough. Let the chips fall where they may. He’ll be nice for a while but throw you under the bus when you least expect it.
And I’m not trying to be argumentative. If someone writes that I made a nothing burger statement yet doesn’t repeat my statement properly, I’m going to mention it. That’s all. It’s all good on my end. Again, I appreciate your comment Davey.
Gary, I agree that the perception of Kuzma is that he plays for his own numbers.
OTOH, what else can you do when you play for the Wizards for 4 years. The same is happening to Jordan Poole right now, and he won’t be able to shed that rep until/unless he goes to a competitive team.
The NBA can do this to young players. Charlotte has got a bunch of these guys. Orlando used to. Wiggins was viewed this way at Minny.
It’s not too late for Kuzma to change. We’ll see.
The Bucks sent Middleton’s career to die in DC
That is undeniable
They will flip him or waive him.
Facts!
Kuzma will probably be reinvigorated playing for a contender. There is NOTHING going on with the Wizards, as usual. Terrible, uninteresting franchise.
Not a big fan of the swapping of players, but the Bucks needed to change things. Lost five of their last six, all by double-digits. Middleton was clearly not coming back as hoped, and Kuzma has been playing better since he started being less passive. Gives the Bucks an actual scoring option beyond Giannis/Dame.
As silly as it sounds it also makes the Bucks even taller, which is a statement after losing to the Cavs 3 times already this year.
My only hesitation from the Bucks side is this trade could worsen their already porous defense. I was also a huge fan of the chemistry Khris and Giannis had on offense but will agree the Bucks need to get younger and Middleton hasn’t been able to stay healthy for a while now.
this isn’t even a lateral move in terms of talent. Kuzma is having his least efficient year and has been as oft injured as Middleton this year. Seems mostly money motivated.
Does this move now setup a Bobby Portis and Pat Connaughton for Bruce Bowen swap?
Bruce Bowen has been retired for years so I hope not
Damn it I meant Bruce Brown…lol
A time machine is needed to bring back prime Bruce Bowen from the Spurs.
Baldwin played for Minnesota in college. Maybe this helps him with his mental game
That would be UW- Milwaukee and no they’re not the same.
Kuzma can now show what he has on a winning team. AJ can now play without a Jerky coach pulling hom. Washington. Is not done with trades. Middleton can traded in a butler multi team trade.
Good trade for Bucks, get a player that will play and not be in the injured list. As well as a fresh start for Kuzma.
Not sure what happens now with Middleton.
Can they trade Doc Rivers next?
If you can’t stay healthy then you get sent to a crap team. For Kuz he should score the easiest in life for the amount of attention Giannis and Dame will draw and create for him.
Can they sign Kris in the off season? Can the Wizards ship him somewhere else now? That team release him and then sign with the Bucks? Do that…do that!!!
Just what the Wizards needed, ANOTHER 19 y/o wing and an expensive veteran who doesn’t want to be there!
The Middleton/Brogdon backcourt would have been awesome about 5 years ago.
Congrats to Washington on stealing Khris Middleton, and potentially raising their floor significantly
Doc Rivers constantly proving he doesn’t know who plays for his own team. We’ll see what rotations he goes with, but I doubt it will be one that balances having Kuzma and Lillard on the floor together…
Giannis will likely end up with the Lakers eventually anyway
connoughton trade for kispert
I guess Giannis’ question from earlier this season was answered. They’re going all-in as an offensive team and not a top D team like in previous seasons.
On the bright side, the Bucks have an innings eater PF for when Giannis requests a trade this off-season.
This one was all about the contracts, and nothing to do with on-court fit (is Kuzma even going to start?)
Kuzma
2025: 23.5M
2026: 21.5M
2027: 19.4M
Total: 64.4M
Middleton
2025: 31.1M
2026: 34.0M
Total: 65.7M
Also, what a horrendous pick taking AJ Johnson 23rd on a win-now team.
Jon Horst has done a terrible job since the championship and should not be allowed to “Nico” Giannis.