Kyle Kuzma (left) and Khris Middleton are reportedly trading places in a reported swap.
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The Milwaukee Bucks have made a reported deal ahead of the Feb. 6 trade deadline.
Per multiple reports, the Bucks are dealing former All-Star forward Khris Middleton to the Washington Wizards for forward Kyle Kuzma. The Wizards are also sending forward Patrick Baldwin Jr. to Milwaukee while the Bucks are trading guard AJ Johnson to the Wizards.
The Wizards also will receive a 2028 first-round swap from Milwaukee while the Bucks will get a 2025 second-round pick.
Sources: Milwaukee gets under the second apron with this move. Patrick Baldwin Jr. also going to Milwaukee and rookie AJ Johnson is headed to Washington. The Wizards will receive 2028 first round soft swap and Bucks get a second round most favorable in 2025. https://t.co/QMEZcb3NcA
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) February 5, 2025
Breaking: The Milwaukee Bucks are trading Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson and a pick swap to the Washington Wizards for Kyle Kuzma, Patrick Baldwin Jr. and second-round draft compensation, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/hCOzqqqUXE
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 5, 2025
Bucks receive
- Kyle Kuzma
- Patrick Baldwin Jr.
- 2025 second-round pick
Wizards receive
- Khris Middleton
- AJ Johnson
- 2028 first-round pick swap
The Bucks are 26-22 entering Wednesday night’s game against the Charlotte Hornets (7 p.m. ET, NBA League Pass) and slid out of the top four in the East after losing three straight games for the first time since early November.
After the game in Charlotte and a road game in Atlanta on Feb. 7, the Bucks play 12 of their next 18 games at Fiserv Forum.
Kuzma has seen his scoring take a dip this season after he posted back-to-back campaigns with at least 21 ppg from 2022-24. He’s averaging 15.2 ppg, 5.8 rpg and 2.5 apg while shooting 42% overall and 28.1% on 3-pointers. However, the 29-year-old is a couple years younger than Middleton (33) and will slide into a Milwaukee frontcourt alongside All-Star and former Kia MVP winner Giannis Antetokounmpo.
This season, Middleton is averaging 12.6 points, 3.7 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game while shooting 51.2% overall and 40.7% on 3-pointers. A key part of the Bucks’ championship team in 2021, Middleton has been slowed by injuries since that run and is posting his lowest scoring average since the 2014-15 season.
Middleton helped the United States win gold at the Tokyo Games later that year and was someone that Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo has raved about for years.
“It’s definitely a plus having Khris back,” Antetokounmpo said earlier this season when Middleton was available again following ankle issues. “Man, he takes us to the next level with his IQ, decision-making, shot ability, defense.”
Washington opened the season hoping to be more competitive with Kuzma, Jordan Poole and new center Jonas Valančiūnas along with No. 2 overall pick Alex Sarr in the mix, too. However, the Wizards are an NBA-worst 8-41 and recently ended a 16-game losing streak when they defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves on Jan. 30.
Last season, Kuzma already turned down a reported potential trade to Dallas to remain in Washington. He re-signed with the Wizards in the summer of 2023, inking a reported four-year, $102 million deal.
The Brooklyn Nets selected Kuzma with the No. 27 pick in the 2017 Draft, but he was traded to the Lakers on Draft night. He became a significant part of the Lakers’ young roster both before and during LeBron James’ arrival.
After enjoying mostly a starting role in his second season, Kuzma then handled a bench reserve in his third and fourth seasons because of Anthony Davis’ presence. The Lakers dealt Kuzma and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to the Wizards in a five-team deal in 2021 that landed Russell Westbrook in L.A.
Middleton appeared in just 33 games in 2022-23 and 55 games last season due to various injuries. A sprained medial collateral ligament caused him to miss the Bucks’ final 10 playoff games in 2022.
However, he remains productive when healthy. Middleton averaged 15.1 points, 5.3 assists and 4.7 rebounds in 2023-24. When Antetokounmpo missed the Bucks’ first-round playoff loss to the Indiana Pacers, Middleton took on a greater role and averaged 24.7 points, 9.2 rebounds and 4.7 assists over the six-game series.
The move gives the Bucks some financial flexibility in that it gets them below the second apron — meaning, in the short term, some other trade options may be available to them before the deadline.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
