Khris Middleton

Wizards Notes: Smart, Sarr, Poole, Holmes, Middleton

March 6th, 2025 at 10:55am CST by Dana Gauruder

Marcus Smart finds himself on one of the league’s worst teams. The veteran guard was dealt by Memphis to the Wizards last month and is attempting to make the best of it, he told Candace Buckner of the Washington Post.

“Controlling what I can control is my motto now as I’ve gotten older and I think that helps a lot because we are put to the test,” he said. “When you’re such a competitor and you’re so passionate, [then] to come to a team that’s young, rebuilding in a sense, you know, trying to figure it out. You know, it is frustrating, but the older you get, that experience, I went through it. So now I can see, sit down and understand by looking from 2017 till now, what can I do differently? And that is the way I respond.”

Smart, who is signed through next season, is trying to give his new teammates some tough love.

“They know I’m not here to hold your hand. I’m here to help you get better,” he said. “This group is very young but they have some talented guys who can be defensive players of the year, or all-star candidates, all-NBA candidates with some work. A little bit of experience, a little bit of guidance, and that’s what I’m here for.”

Here’s more on the Wizards:

Alex Sarr has struggled to score at the rim in his rookie season but he was an inside force against Utah on Wednesday, racking up 21 points and making all but one of his seven attempts in the lane. “Definitely just trying to be aggressive. Get some easy ones around the rim before spacing out,” he said, per Varun Shankar of the Washington Post.
Jordan Poole missed his third straight game with a right elbow hyperextension, Shankar notes. Coach Brian Keefe indicated that Poole did some on-court work, including shooting, on Wednesday. Big man Richaun Holmes missed his first game since late January with a left knee contusion, Shankar adds.
While Smart and Khris Middleton, another trade-deadline acquisition, are playing key roles as mentors for the younger players, it’s quite possible – or perhaps likely – the Wizards will attempt to trade them after this season or before the 2026 trade deadline, Josh Robbins of The Athletic writes in his latest mailbag. Robbins also fields questions on the draft and the organization’s player development program.

Scotto: Trae Young, LaMelo Ball Among Players To Monitor In Offseason

March 3rd, 2025 at 2:07pm CST by Luke Adams

Hawks guard Trae Young has just one guaranteed year left on his contract after this season, with a player option for 2026/27. As he nears potential free agency, executives around the NBA are wondering whether Atlanta will be looking to extend Young this offseason or whether he might emerge as a trade candidate, writes Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

As Scotto notes, Young has spoken about wanting to win a championship in Atlanta with head coach Quin Snyder, and the Hawks have an intriguing collection of young talent around him, including forward Jalen Johnson, defensive ace Dyson Daniels, and 2024’s No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher.

However, the Hawks have been a middle-of-the-pack team since making the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021, compiling between 36 and 43 wins and failing to get out of the first round of the playoffs in each of the three years since then — this season, they’re on pace for 37 wins and another play-in spot. They also don’t control their own first-round picks in any of the next three drafts.

Additionally, Scotto writes, Hawks ownership will be looking to avoid surpassing the luxury tax threshold in 2025/26, which could affect their ability to re-sign free agents such as Clint Capela, Caris LeVert, and/or Larry Nance Jr. — or to bring in additional talent.

Atlanta did have talks with the Pelicans prior to this year’s trade deadline about forward Brandon Ingram, with Capela, Onyeka Okongwu, De’Andre Hunter, and Bogdan Bogdanovic among the names that came up in those multi-team discussions, Scotto reports. Ingram was ultimately sent to Toronto, with the Hawks sending Hunter to Cleveland and Bogdanovic to the Clippers.

Shortly after the trade deadline passed last month, NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link) referred to Young’s future in Atlanta as “murky,” while Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link) wondered if the 26-year-old might request a trade this summer. Scotto doesn’t quite go that far, but says Young’s situation in Atlanta is one that executives around the league will be monitoring in the coming months.

Here’s more from Scotto on players to watch entering the 2025 offseason:

Rival executives are curious about whether point guard LaMelo Ball is still at the forefront of the Hornets‘ long-term plans and will be keeping an eye on him this offseason, Scotto reports. Veteran forward Miles Bridges is another name to watch in Charlotte, since his contract has a declining salary structure that was meant to make it more trade-friendly, Scotto adds. It also remains to be seen whether the Hornets will put center Mark Williams back on the trade block after a deadline deal with the Lakers fell through due to medical concerns.
RJ Barrett‘s name came up in the Ingram trade talks between the Raptors and Pelicans, but New Orleans didn’t view the forward as an ideal fit on their roster, according to Scotto, who suggests that Barrett could emerge as a trade candidate this summer with Toronto prioritizing Ingram, Scottie Barnes, and Gradey Dick. The former No. 3 overall pick is under contract for $57MM+ across two more years after this season.
NBA executives widely expect Wizards forward Khris Middleton to pick up his $33.35MM player option for 2025/26, Scotto reports. If he does, he and guard Marcus Smart – who will have an expiring $21.59MM deal, will be trade candidates to monitor in Washington. The same goes for Richaun Holmes, though his expiring $13.28MM contract only features a small partial guarantee ($250K), so he’s probably more likely to be waived than traded.

Eastern Notes: Green, Giannis, Moore, Wizards

February 24th, 2025 at 7:55am CST by Luke Adams

When a buyout opportunity materialized for Javonte Green in New Orleans, Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson reached out to the veteran swingman to convey the team’s interest in him and to chat about a number of topics, including some not related to basketball, reports Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscription required).

As Fedor writes, Atkinson knew the 31-year-old from his time with the Warriors — the Cavs’ coach was an assistant under Steve Kerr when Green spent most of last season with Golden State’s G League affiliate in Santa Cruz. In addition to helping convince Green to sign with the Cavs, Atkinson encouraged Cleveland’s front office to complete the signing, Fedor adds.

The East-leading Cavs improved to 47-10 with their seventh straight win on Sunday, a hard-fought home victory over Memphis. While he didn’t play at all in Sunday’s game after officially joining the team earlier in the day, Green went through shootaround with the club and spoke about his decision to choose Cleveland.

“I just felt like here was the best fit for me,” Green said, per Fedor. “I’m a very team-oriented player and I think this team has that. I think it could be an easy fit for me.”

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

After missing six games due to a calf strain, Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo was on a restriction of roughly 24 minutes per night in his first two games back. Prior to Sunday’s contest vs. Miami, head coach Doc Rivers said that restriction would be loosened, though he didn’t specify the new upper limit, tweets Eric Nehm of The Athletic. Antetokounmpo ended up logging 32 minutes in Milwaukee’s win over the Heat and racked up 23 points, 16 rebounds, and seven assists.
Third-year wing Wendell Moore, who signed a two-way contract with the Hornets during the All-Star break, was born and raised in the Charlotte area and was thrilled to get the opportunity to join his hometown team, writes Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. “It was definitely surreal,” Moore said. “As a kid, we all dream of playing for our hometown team. Few get to do it, but when you do it, it’s definitely an exciting thing. Haven’t got to play a home game yet, but I’m looking forward to playing back at the crib. This team is fun. It’s an exciting team and a close group of guys. I’m excited to be here.”
Wizards newcomers Khris Middleton (ankle injury management) and Marcus Smart (right index finger injury management) both sat out on Sunday in the first half of a back-to-back set, notes Varun Shankar of The Washington Post. Head coach Brian Keefe declined to say whether the two veterans, who missed time with those injuries earlier this season, would continue to sit out one end of back-to-backs for the rest of 2024/25.

Wizards Notes: Kuzma, Middleton, Smart, Lottery

February 22nd, 2025 at 9:49pm CST by Arthur Hill

New Bucks forward Kyle Kuzma seemed to briefly lose track of which team he was playing for as he returned to Washington Friday night, according to Noah Trister of The Associated Press. Kuzma, who spent three and a half seasons with the Wizards before being traded at the deadline, congratulated one of his former teammates after a good defensive play.

“One time in the first quarter, it might have been Alex (Sarr), he might have blocked a shot. Bilal (Coulibaly) came over to dap him up,” Kuzma said. “Then I dapped up Bilal, just by instinct. It was weird.”

Any confusion from Kuzma was short-lived as he scored 19 points in Milwaukee’s 104-101 victory. His addition becomes even more important to the Bucks with Giannis Antetokounmpo playing limited minutes while recovering from a calf strain and Bobby Portis suspended for 25 games due to a violation of the NBA’s drug policy.

Kuzma said he enjoyed playing in Washington, calling it “a time of growth,” but he didn’t expect the rebuilding Wizards to keep him past the trade deadline.

“I think the writing was on the wall in a sense here. Not saying that was a good or a bad thing. I think everything in life really has an expiration date,” Kuzma said. “It was my time to go, beneficial to all parties involved.”

There’s more from Washington:

Khris Middleton narrowly missed out on a storybook ending against his former team when his last-second shot to force overtime bounced off the rim, writes Varun Shankar of The Washington Post. Coach Brian Keefe ran much of his late-game offense through the veteran forward, saying, “He’s a closer, has been for a very long time in this league. And we are going to take advantage of having him on our roster.”
Marcus Smart played 17 minutes off the bench Friday in his first game with the Wizards, per Brian Robb of MassLive. Smart, who was also acquired in a deadline deal, may have a limited role for the rest of the season as Washington concentrates on developing its young talent. Rookie guard Carlton Carrington told Josh Robbins of The Athletic that he welcomes being tutored by the former Defensive Player of the Year. “Myself and the Wizards want me to really solidify myself on the defensive end, and (with Marcus) that’s someone who has solidified himself on the defensive end since he walked in the league,” Carrington said. “He’s really good at it, really crafty at it. So I definitely, from day one, just want to pick his brain and just make my life easier on making other guys’ lives terrible.”
The Wizards will find out at the May 12 lottery if their rebuilding strategy pays off big, notes David Aldridge of The Athletic. Aldridge states that the team is relying heavily on lottery luck to land a top-three pick in the next two drafts and add at least one franchise-changing player.

Khris Middleton: ‘My Time Ran Out’ In Milwaukee

February 22nd, 2025 at 6:15pm CST by Arthur Hill

After spending 12 and a half seasons with the Bucks, it was odd for Khris Middleton to see them as the opponent Friday night in his first game with the Wizards. In an interview with Eric Nehm of The Athletic, Middleton talks about the shock of changing teams late in his career and the experience of trying to start over in Washington after being a fixture in Milwaukee for so long.

“Yeah, it’s a range,” Middleton said of the emotions brought on by the February 6 trade. “Like, it’s a cycle I go through a lot of times. I’m trying to get out of that cycle now because it’s over with, and there’s no point of really going down that path. But definitely anger. Definitely, like sadness. Like denial, ‘Why would they do that?’ Questioning their decision and stuff like that. But I think it’s healthy for me to think about all that stuff and try to bottle that and put that into something positive. And for me, that’s starting here. That’s helping these guys get their building blocks and helping them grow this organization like I did with the Bucks.”

Middleton was an indispensable part of the Bucks’ 2021 championship team, hitting numerous clutch shots throughout their playoff run. Injuries have limited his effectiveness in recent years, as he played just 33 games during the 2022/23 season and 55 in 2023/24. After undergoing offseason surgery on both ankles, Middleton was only available for 23 games this year before the Bucks made the decision to move on.

Although Middleton would have preferred to end his career in Milwaukee, he indicated that he understands the thought process behind the trade.

“I’ve had many opportunities,” he said. “I mean, that’s the way I’ve kind of looked at it. My time ran out. Simple as that. I mean, I could say my time could have ran out a long time ago. They held onto me, believed in the potential, believed in the work that they saw. But I think this time, it was just, we think a different route is better for our team going forward. And I can’t do nothing but respect that.”

Middleton said he was informed of the deal by his agent, Mike Lindeman, shortly before the morning shootaround on the Wednesday before the deadline. He was aware that his name was being mentioned in trade rumors, but he decided to focus on his duties as a player rather than being distracted by online chatter.

“I mean, you can go out there, cause hell, be a cancer in the locker room, especially when things aren’t going your way, but that’s not right,” Middleton said. “Be professional, be a teammate, brother, friend. So just try to not see it, try to ignore it as much as I could and focus on what I needed to do.”

Middleton added that he had been attempting to ramp up his playing time in hopes of reaching 30 minutes per night by the playoffs. Although there were some setbacks, he remains confident that he could have been productive in the postseason if he had remained with the Bucks.

Asked to pick his favorite moments during his time in Milwaukee, Middleton chose both the title season and his first two years with the organization when the Bucks rose from the bottom of the league to reach the playoffs.

“There’s a lot of things, a lot of special moments, but those were the two points,” he said. “Of course, you win the championship, everything’s on top, everybody sees that, but nobody really recognizes or really understands how hard it is to go from 15 wins (in 2013-14) to the playoffs the next year, right? So those are two things that are pretty cool.”

Central Notes: Giannis, Cunningham, Thompson, Green

February 19th, 2025 at 11:03pm CST by Arthur Hill

Giannis Antetokounmpo likes the additions the Bucks made at the trade deadline, but a strained left calf has prevented him from getting on the court with his new teammates, writes Steve Megargee of The Associated Press. The injury caused Antetokounmpo to miss the last six games before the All-Star break, and he’s listed as questionable for Thursday’s contest against the Clippers. He was able to practice today, but neither he or coach Doc Rivers is sure whether he’s going to play.

Even though he’s stuck on the sidelines, Antetokounmpo has been impressed by what he’s seen from Kyle Kuzma, Jericho Sims and Kevin Porter Jr., whom Milwaukee landed in two trades earlier this month.

“The team looks great right now,” Antetokounmpo said. “We’re playing very, very fast. Everybody’s competing. Defensively I think we’re going to be way, way better. We’re big. And I’m excited.”

The downside of the deadline for Antetokounmpo was parting with long-time teammate Khris Middleton. They could back be on the court together again Friday when Milwaukee travels to Washington, and Antetokounmpo has a greeting in mind.

“I’m not shaking his hand, I’m not talking to him, I’m not even looking at him, and every time I see him, I’m going to guard him full court, pick him up full court and deny him,” Antetokounmpo quipped. “You know what I’m going to do? I’m going to make a 3 in his face and go, ‘Khash!’ I’m joking.”

There’s more from the Central Division:

Cade Cunningham became the first Pistons player to be selected to the All-Star Game since Blake Griffin in 2019 and the first Detroit guard to make it since Allen Iverson in 2009, notes Hunter Patterson of The Athletic. Cunningham enjoyed making his All-Star debut, but added that he expects to return many times in his career. “It’s cool, man. This is what I planned on, though,” he said. “This is what I saw for myself. To be in this position now is a great feeling, but there’s definitely more steps to climb. I’m looking forward to the rest of the season and all the things to come.”
Pistons forward Ausar Thompson could be primed for a strong close to the season, Coty M. Davis of The Detroit News states in a mailbag column. Davis notes that Thompson had to overcome a long layoff caused by blood clots he experienced late in his rookie season. When he was cleared to play in November, he was limited to 20 minutes per game and was still dealing with fatigue. He has been used as the team’s secondary play-maker over the last eight games and is averaging 4.0 assists per night, along with 13.0 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.0 steals.
Javonte Green, who is expected to join the Cavaliers after completing a buyout with New Orleans, was one of the wings the team considered adding before the trade deadline, per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (Twitter link). Team officials believed Green was likely to be a buyout candidate, so they directed their trade efforts elsewhere and wound up with De’Andre Hunter.

Southeast Notes: Suggs, Middleton, Smart, Williams, Young

February 19th, 2025 at 9:40pm CST by Arthur Hill

The left quad contusion that sidelined Magic guard Jalen Suggs before the All-Star break hasn’t healed enough for him to resume playing, writes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. Suggs has been declared out for Thursday’s contest at Atlanta, making it the 10th straight game he’ll miss and the 20th of the last 21. He was limited to the non-contact portions of practice the last two days, Beede adds.

“Everybody responds to treatment, everybody responds to different injuries differently [and] everybody’s different,” coach Jamahl Mosley said. “And so, you want to treat it as such, and not rush a process of getting him fully whole just to squeak back in to not be 100% on the court because he’s trying to push through certain things. It’s so important that we get him back fully healthy where there is no nagging pain as we go through it.”

The Magic are counting on Suggs’ return to help end a long spiral that has seen them fall to seventh place in the East at 27-29. They’re 6-14 in their last 20 games and haven’t won two in a row since late December. Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner both returned from extended injury absences over the past six weeks, but Orlando is clearly missing the all-around production of Suggs, who’s averaging 16.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.5 steals in 35 games.

“Defensive-wise, that’s where we’ve been missing him the most,” Kentavious Caldwell-Pope said. “The way he guards and the energy that he brings, everybody feeds off that, even myself.”

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

Khris Middleton and Marcus Smart, Washington’s veteran additions at the trade deadline, were both full participants in today’s practice, according to Josh Robbins of The Athletic (Twitter link). They may be able to make their Wizards‘ debuts at home Friday against Milwaukee. “I’m here to be a basketball player,” Middleton said. “I’m here to win games, here to help win games however I can. I am going to be here as a mentor and whatnot, but I want Wizards fans to know that I’m not here just to be a mentor. I’m here to be a basketball player and compete out there and help win games.” Malcolm Brogdon, who sprained his left ankle last Wednesday, isn’t expected to play, Robbins tweets.
Coach Charles Lee said Mark Williams is back to being the Hornets‘ starting center after his trade to the Lakers was rescinded (Twitter video link from Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer). Jusuf Nurkic, who was acquired from Phoenix at the deadline, will be the primary backup, pushing Moussa Diabate back to third string. Diabate started the last three games and recently signed a three-year contract after beginning the season on a two-way deal.
Hawks guard Trae Young made his fourth All-Star appearance this year, so he has learned how to handle the demands of the weekend without getting overwhelmed, per Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I mean, it wasn’t my first time going,” Young said. “So I kind of knew how to take advantage of the weekend, a little bit more rest, during breaks and appearances and things like that. So, I was able to get some catnaps in there, and then after that, after Sunday, after the game, I was able to get out of there and get some rest and spend some family time those last two days. And I’m ready to go.”

Central Notes: Duren, Thompson, Lillard, Middleton, Buzelis

February 14th, 2025 at 10:11pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Rising Pistons stars Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson appear to have elevated their long-term ceilings this season, writes Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. Duren and Thompson are elite athletes, Langlois observes, but both players have also looked pretty raw at times as scorers. They look to be turning things around this month, however.

Thompson has averaged 14.6 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 2.1 steals across seven contests in February. Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff is also exploring Thompson’s abilities to serve as a supplemental play-maker and get to the basket. He’s been averaging 4.7 free throw attempts per game this month.

“He’s growing into the role that this team needs him to be in,” Bickerstaff said of Thompson. “Offensively, we need him to be a threat. He’s an elite play-maker. Some of the passes he threw tonight … he’s a special passer, but now you can his confidence growing as he’s finishing at the rim.”

Duren, meanwhile, is also developing as a ball-handler. He has dished out 23 dimes against just seven turnovers in his last four contests.

There’s more out of the Central Division:

Bucks point guard Damian Lillard, an Oakland native, is returning to the Bay Area for his ninth All-Star appearance this weekend at San Francisco’s Chase Center, writes Marc J. Spears of Andscape. Lillard observed that his hometown feels somewhat out-of-sorts as it is drained of its pro sports presence. “I feel like my childhood, a lot of the positivity was that all of the guys who are from the Bay Area we took pride in having our teams there,” Lillard said. “It gave us something to belong to us. But now with all of them leaving, it’s like a ghost town. So, I hate to see that for the city.” The Warriors have departed Oakland for San Francisco, the NFL’s Raiders left for Las Vegas, and the MLB’s Athletics are following suit.
Former three-time All-Star Bucks forward Khris Middleton, a critical part of the club’s title run in 2021, was moved at the trade deadline to Washington. He published a social media post on Friday thanking fans in Milwaukee for the 12 years he spent with the team (Instagram link). “As I begin this new chapter, I’m excited for the opportunities ahead,” Middleton wrote in part. “But Milwaukee will always hold a special place in my heart.”
Athletic Bulls rookie Matas Buzelis is looking to establish himself nationally in the AT&T Slam Dunk Contest on Saturday, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. ‘‘I’ve got a few dunks people have never seen before,’’ Buzelis said. ‘‘It should be fun.’’ According to Cowley, the 6’10” forward had been finessing his dunk portfolio over the last month with Zach LaVine, himself a two-time Slam Dunk champ, prior to the blockbuster deadline trade that sent LaVine to Sacramento.

Bucks GM: Middleton Trade Was ‘Hardest Transaction’ Of My Career

February 11th, 2025 at 10:19am CST by Luke Adams

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.”

Four-Team Kyle Kuzma/Khris Middleton Trade Officially Completed

February 6th, 2025 at 10:42pm CST by Luke Adams

The four-team trade that sends Kyle Kuzma to the Bucks and Khris Middleton to the Wizards has been formally completed, the Knicks announced in a press release (via Twitter). Washington confirmed the finalized agreement in a press release as well.

The terms of the deal, which also includes the Spurs, are as follows:

Bucks acquire Kuzma, Jericho Sims, either the Pistons’, Suns’, or Warriors’ 2025 second-round pick (whichever is second-most favorable; from Wizards), and a protected second-round pick (from Spurs).
Wizards acquire Middleton, AJ Johnson, the draft rights to Mathias Lessort (from Knicks), the right to swap their own 2028 first-round pick for the Bucks’ 2028 first-round pick or the Trail Blazers’ 2028 first-round pick (whichever is least favorable), and cash ($1MM; from Bucks).
Knicks acquire Delon Wright, the draft rights to Hugo Besson (from Bucks), and cash ($2MM; from Bucks).
Spurs acquire Patrick Baldwin Jr. and cash ($4.13MM; from Bucks).
Note: If the Trail Blazers haven’t conveyed their lottery-protected 2025 first-round pick by 2027 and it lands outside the lottery in 2028, it would be ineligible to be swapped; in that scenario, the Wizards would simply have the right to swap their own 2028 first-round pick for the Bucks’ 2028 first-round pick.

The Kuzma/Middleton agreement between the Bucks and Spurs was initially reported on Wednesday morning. Our full story on that original deal can be found right here.

Milwaukee later expanded the trade by working out a side deal with New York involving Sims and a second side deal with San Antonio for Baldwin.

The transaction allows the Bucks to shed enough salary move below the second tax apron, which is why they’re permitted to send out cash in the deal — Fred Katz of The Athletic reported the details on the cash going to each team earlier today.

The only other changes from the terms previously reported are that the draft rights to Lessort are headed from New York to Washington instead of Milwaukee and the Spurs are sending the Bucks a protected second-round pick. Details on that second-rounder are TBD.

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