Kyle Kuzma

Central Notes: Kuzma, Hardaway, Haliburton, White

March 23rd, 2025 at 1:45pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

New Bucks forward Kyle Kuzma is adjusting to life on a competitive club after his years with the rebuilding Wizards, as he told Mark Medina of Sportskeeda in a recent interview.

“I haven’t found my total offensive groove,” Kuzma said. “But I’ve been able to be competitive. Defense and rebounding is something that I do really, really well. So that’s what made an impact. It’s just about being able to compete. That’s the best thing for me. And it’s something that I’m very happy to do, especially with this group of people. We’re only going to be better.”

In his 21 contests with Milwaukee so far, the 6’9″ vet is averaging 14.0 PPG, 6.7 RPG, and 2.0 APG. He’s shooting a middling .437/.295/.671, a far cry from the shooting efficacy of beloved former Bucks wing Khris Middleton — although Kuzma provides a major athletic and defensive advantage over Middleton at this stage in their careers.

Kuzma also has a health and availability edge over Middleton, though he continues to be affected by a left ankle sprain he sustained on March 5, per Eric Nehm of The Athletic.

“I’ve been playing on one leg for like the last three weeks,” Kuzma said. “I think the OKC game, I felt pretty good. And then felt much better in Golden State and then felt the best I’ve felt since before that Dallas game where I sprained it.”

There’s more out of the Central Division:

Floor-spacing veteran Pistons swingman Tim Hardaway Jr. spoke with Grant Afseth of Sportskeeda at length about his new role on a rising young playoff hopeful. “Just being one of the designated shooters for the team really helps the guard play, especially with [Cade Cunningham],” Hardaway told Afseth. “It helps space the floor—not only for myself, but also for [Tobias Harris], [Malik Beasley], and a lot of other guys that came in with that. So just having that positive impact, bringing that maturity, and having multiple guys who understand what it takes to win ball games—guys who’ve been playing at a high level for many years—that’s key.”
Two-time All-Star Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton returned to the lineup Saturday against Brooklyn following lingering back issues, per Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star (Twitter link). It was his first action in a week. “I’ve had back issues my whole life,” Haliburton said. “I’ve worked really hard to try to get rid of it and try to do everything we can. Sometimes my body reacts in certain ways. There was a couple of plays in the Bucks game when I got twisted in the air… It felt bad for like a week.”
Bulls guard Coby White has been on a scoring tear of late, averaging 29.4 PPG across his last 10 contests. In a conversation with Afseth of Sportskeeda, the 25-year-old unpacked his breakout season. “It was just about improving on a lot of different things,” White said. “The summer is long, especially since we didn’t make the playoffs, so I had a lot of time to work.” In 64 healthy bouts for the 31-40 Bulls, the UNC alum is averaging a career-high 20.0 PPG, plus 4.4 APG, 3.6 RPG and 1.0 SPG. He has also taken on more of a leadership role while looking to score more regularly since Chicago traded Zach LaVine to Sacramento last month.

Bucks Notes: Giannis, Porter, Sims, Kuzma, Bridgeman

March 16th, 2025 at 2:01pm CST by Luke Adams

The battle to be named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player this season has turned into a two-man race, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic considered the heavy favorites to earn the honor. But two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo has been arguably just as productive this year as he was in the two seasons he won the award (2018-20), a fact that Bucks head coach Doc Rivers highlighted following Saturday’s victory over Indiana.

“It’s funny, I was talking to one of the better coaches in the league and he brought it up,” Rivers said, per Eric Nehm of The Athletic. “He said, ‘How the hell is no one talking about Giannis? He is doing different stuff. His assists keep going up. I mean, I don’t know what the guy has to do.'”

Across his two MVP seasons, Antetokounmpo averaged 28.5 points, 13.0 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 1.3 blocks per game, with a 56.6% shooting percentage. Through 54 games this season, the star forward has put up 30.6 PPG, 12.1 RPG, 5.9 APG, and 1.2 BPG on 60.5% shooting.

“I’m not going to campaign (for him to be named MVP),” Rivers continued. “I’m not going to do that, but he is a forgotten guy with what he’s doing for our basketball team.”

Here’s more on the Bucks:

The Pacers won four of five regular season games over Milwaukee a year ago, then knocked the Bucks out of the playoffs in the first round. The two teams currently hold the fourth and fifth spots in the East and could meet in the first round again this spring, so the Bucks recognized the importance of Saturday’s victory, which gave them the tiebreaker edge over Indiana, as well as a one-game lead in the standings. “Obviously, we wanted to get the tiebreaker,” Damian Lillard said, according to Nehm. “And a team that we’ve played so many times over the last two seasons, you know it’s going to be a physical game. It’s gonna be a competitive game … but we were able to pull it out, so that’s what really counts.”
In a separate story for The Athletic, Nehm takes a look at how trade-deadline additions Kevin Porter and Jericho Sims are impacting the Bucks, writing that getting Porter’s ball-control issues in check is a priority. Entering Saturday’s game, the guard had committed multiple turnovers in nine consecutive games despite averaging just 15.6 minutes per night. “That’s non-negotiable,” Rivers said. “Especially late in the season, you just can’t turn the ball over. He knows that, but he’s still doing it right now. But we still want him to be aggressive.” Porter had 16 points and four assists with no turnovers in 19 minutes of action on Saturday.
Of course, the Bucks’ biggest deadline addition was Kyle Kuzma. Jamal Collier of ESPN explores what Kuzma has brought to the team and why general manager Jon Horst believes that the forward’s versatility will make Antetokounmpo and Lillard more dangerous.
As outlined in a report from The Associated Press, the Bucks are wearing patches on their jerseys for the rest of the season to honor Junior Bridgeman, the team’s minority owner and former player who died this past week.

Mavs’ Washington, Gafford Expected To Discuss Extensions In Offseason

March 3rd, 2025 at 4:01pm CST by Luke Adams

Representatives for Mavericks forward P.J. Washington and center Daniel Gafford are expected to engage the Mavericks‘ front office in discussions this offseason about potential contract extensions for their clients, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

Washington and Gafford will be entering contract years in 2025/26, with Washington set to earn $14,152,174 in the final season of his contract while Gafford earns $14,386,320 in the last year of his deal. Both players were acquired at the 2024 trade deadline and helped the Mavs make a late-season run and a playoff push that culminated in an NBA Finals appearance last spring.

Veteran contract extensions can typically start at up to 140% of the player’s previous salary and cover no more than five total years, including the years remaining on the player’s previous deal. That means Washington’s maximum extension this offseason would be worth approximately $88.76MM over four years, while Gafford’s would be worth about $90.23MM over four years.

Those projections may end up slightly higher depending on where the league’s “estimated average salary” comes in for 2025/26 — players are allowed to sign extensions that start at up to 140% of the estimated average salary if that figure exceeds their own salary.

I’m skeptical that the Mavericks would go as high as $90MM over four years – or would need to – to lock up Gafford, who was backing up Dereck Lively at the five earlier this season and could now be vying for frontcourt minutes with Anthony Davis as well (though the Mavs are expected to deploy plenty of two-big lineups). If Gafford signs an extension, it likely wouldn’t be for that maximum offer.

Washington has emerged as an extremely valuable role player though — he’s averaging a career-high 8.1 rebounds per game, making 37.4% of his three-point shoots, and providing solid, versatile defense. He’s more likely to warrant the max offer Dallas could put on the table prior to free agency.

Interestingly, Scotto reports that Washington and Gafford both briefly came up in trade talks earlier this season when the Mavericks registered interest in Jimmy Butler. Those exploratory discussions with the Heat didn’t really go anywhere though, according to Scotto, as Dallas pivoted away from Butler and moved forward with their controversial Luka Doncic/Davis blockbuster. The Mavs also expressed interest in forward Kyle Kuzma before trading Doncic, Scotto adds.

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.

Doc Rivers Defends Bobby Portis In Wake Of Suspension

February 21st, 2025 at 11:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Speaking to reporters before Thursday’s game, Bucks coach Doc Rivers offered a spirited defense of veteran forward Bobby Portis, who was suspended for 25 games earlier in the day for violating the NBA’s drug policy, writes Eric Nehm of The Athletic. Portis’ agent, Mark Bartelstein, explained that his client accidentally took a pain medication called Tramadol, which is banned by the league, when he intended to take Toradol.

“I want to make something clear: Bobby’s not a drug user,” Rivers said. “I hate that it just says that you flunked the drug policy. And so when people read that, the first place they go is the wrong place. This is as big a mistake as can be made, like, it’s a mistake. And, so it bothers me on a lot of levels. Rules are rules, I get it, I get it — but there are also human circumstances and common sense to me.

“Bobby’s not a cheater. And so to me, that’s where we have to try to figure out how to change this a little bit. Because when it’s clear that a guy — Tormazol, Toradol, I don’t even know — when it’s that close and it’s clear, you can tell now from the blood samples, that that was the only time ever, you would think that we could do something less severe. But we have this rule like if you do it, you’re out, and that’s the way it is, so I just feel bad for Bobby, on so many levels.”

Rivers added that the team considered contesting the suspension, but didn’t want to risk losing an appeal and having it delayed. Portis will be eligible to return April 8 and play in the final four games of the regular season.

Portis wasn’t at Thursday’s shootaround, but he will be permitted to practice while he’s suspended, Nehm adds. Rivers said the Bucks are working with the league to see if he’ll be able to travel with the team, although he won’t be allowed in the arena starting two hours before tip-off.

Rivers said along with Portis’ production, the team will miss the strong leadership he provides during games.

“It’s funny, what the people don’t see is there’s certain guys that you need,” Rivers said. “Shootaround (on Thursday) was different. Bobby’s the one guy, he’s the voice (saying), ‘Stop f—ing around in practice.’ And he’s the guy that tells everybody that on our team. And, today, it was me saying that, and it’s just not the same. Let me tell you, Bobby’s voice is bigger and better. Obviously, we miss him on the floor. But I have that saying, ‘You can’t replace a human being.’ You just can’t. And especially one as special as Bobby.”

The Bucks currently have a roster opening, so they could add another player right away. They can also move Portis to the suspended list after five games and sign someone until his suspension expires.

Nehm adds that Portis’ suspension is having an immediate impact on Rivers’ rotation plans. He was hoping to give newly acquired Kyle Kuzma plenty of minutes at small forward, but that’s difficult with Portis unavailable and Giannis Antetokounmpo on a minutes restriction after returning from a calf strain.

“It doesn’t matter too much to me,” Kuzma said. “I’ve always said my entire career, I’m just a basketball player, whether it’s playing the three or the four, coming down the stretch, initiating offense. Basketball is such a positionless game and I’ve been playing the game and all types of positions my whole entire life.”

Bucks’ Bobby Portis Jr. Suspended 25 Games By NBA

February 20th, 2025 at 9:50am CST by Dana Gauruder

Bucks big man Bobby Portis Jr. has been suspended 25 games without pay for violating the terms of the NBA/NBPA Anti-Drug Program, the league announced today (via Twitter).

Portis tested positive for Tramadol. According to Drugs.com, Tramadol “is an opioid agonist that may be used to treat moderate to moderately severe chronic pain in adults.”

Portis’ suspension will begin with tonight’s game between the Bucks and Clippers. Milwaukee played 53 games prior to the All-Star break, which means Portis won’t be eligible to return until April 8, when the team hosts Minnesota.

Milwaukee is 29-24 and in no danger of dropping out of the postseason picture. However, with the team emerging from the break with the fifth-best record in the Eastern Conference, Portis’ suspension could impact whether it holds onto a top-six spot and an automatic berth into the first round.

Portis is one of the league’s top reserves. This season, he’s averaging 13.7 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 25.2 minutes per game. He’s come off the bench in 39 on 46 games played.

According to Portis’ agent Mark Bartelstein, Portis took the drug by accident.

“I am devastated for Bobby right now because he made an honest mistake and the ramifications of it are incredibly significant,” Bartelstein told ESPN’s Shams Charania. “Bobby unintentional took a pain medication called Tramadol, thinking he was taking a pain medication called Toradol.

“Toradol is an approved pain medication that he has used previously and the teams and players use for pain and inflammation at times. Tramadol, however, is not an approved pain medication and was just recently added to the banned substance list this past spring. The Tramadol pill came from an assistant of his, with a valid prescription f0r the painkiller, which he mistakenly told Bobby was Toradol.”

Portis and Bucks general manager Jon Horst also issued statements via a team press release. Portis was apologetic for his “honest mistake” and Horst said that the team will accept the suspension.

“I was dealing with an elbow injury and using an NBA-approved medication for pain and inflammation,” Portis said. “During that time, I made an honest mistake and took a pain-reducing anti-inflammatory pill that is not approved. I feel horrible and recognize that I’m responsible for what I put in my body. From the bottom of my heart, I want to apologize to the Bucks organization, my teammates, coaches, family, and fans. I give everything I have on the court and will terribly miss playing games for the Bucks during this time. I will continue to work hard and be ready for our long playoff run. Thank you for your support. I appreciate it more than you know.”

“This is a very difficult set of circumstances for Bobby and our team,” Horst said. “He and the Bucks organization respect the NBA/NBAPA Anti-Drug Program and will accept what’s been handed down. But we 100% support Bobby. Together we will take this opportunity to grow and will have a better and stronger Bobby and Milwaukee Bucks team. He’s an integral part of who we are, a huge member of the Milwaukee community, and we look forward to his return.”

With Portis often serving as the backup center to Brook Lopez, recently acquired big man Jericho Sims could have a significant role the remainder of the season. Taurean Prince, who was projected to lose his starting role with the trade acquisition of Kyle Kuzma, will also likely absorb some of Portis’ minutes.

Portis is in the third year of a four-year, $48.6MM contract. He holds a $13,445,754 option on his contract for next season.

The Bucks will be able to move Portis to the suspended list after he serves the first five games of the suspension, which would open up a spot on the club’s 15-man roster until he’s reactivated.

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.

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.”

Central Notes: Beasley, Pacers, Kuzma, Sims, Porter

February 9th, 2025 at 10:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Malik Beasley could have been cashed in for future assets at the trade deadline. The veteran wing, who is on a one-year, $6MM bargain deal, has been highly productive for the surprising Pistons, including on Friday when he exploded for a career-high 36 points against Philadelphia.

However, Beasley specifically asked not to dealt and general manager Trajan Langdon obliged, Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press reports.

“He came to me a couple of weeks ago and said ‘Please don’t trade me, I want to be here,” Langdon said. “Which means a lot. In the summer when we talked about players we were going after and players we wanted to roster, we wanted guys who want to be here. He’s a guy who has said from day one he wants to be in Detroit and has continued to echo that, and with his actions and play has shown that.”

Beasley has indicated he plans to re-sign with the club when he enters free agency this summer. He’s ineligible to sign an extension prior to free agency.

“To be able to talk to your GM is huge, to have that relationship,” Beasley said. “I think he knew that I wanted to stay but he wasn’t sure, because a lot of players come in and still want to leave. But I told him from the jump I want to be here, I want to help build this organization up, I want to be a vet and do everything I can to score, and just get some wins. I’m happy to be here, I want to continue to stay here and let’s keep it going.”

We have more from the Central Division:

The Pacers made only one minor move before the trade deadline, dealing away injured center James Wiseman and cash to Toronto for a top-55 protected draft pick. Coach Rick Carlisle is pleased there wasn’t a midseason roster shakeup, he told Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star. “I’m absolutely not surprised,” he said. “The organization believes in this group. The coaching staff believes in this group. The players have shown a strong belief in each other.”
Kyle Kuzma, who won a championship with the Lakers, is happy to be back in a winning organization after being dealt from the rebuilding Wizards to the Bucks. “It’s been four years. It feels a long time,” Kuzma said, per Eric Nehm of The Athletic. “But I was in a different space when I went to Washington. I already won a championship, so when I came to Washington it was like all right, let me find myself, let me find my game, let me see how good I can be, let me see what I can get better at. And I did that. And now I’m back in a situation to win, and that’s what it’s about. Obviously, I’ve been licking my chops for an opportunity to compete at a high level.”
The Bucks also acquired center Jericho Sims and Kevin Porter Jr. prior to the deadline. Coach Doc Rivers commented on both players and Nehm relays that Sims could play a key role as a reserve big man. “I didn’t know that we needed a stretch big. I’ll take the size and the ability to roll and run the floor,” Rivers said. “Rollers are invaluable in our league. He’s one of them. He gets behind the defense. He’s as athletic as anyone in the league. I think he’s a fantastic fit.”

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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