Giannis Antetokounmpo is losing his long-time partner in crime on the court.
The Milwaukee Bucks are trading veteran Khris Middleton to the Washington Wizards for Kyle Kuzma, CBS Sports NBA insider Bill Reiter reported Wednesday. In addition to Kuzma and Middleton, the deal, which comes on the precipice of the 2025 NBA trade deadline, which ends at 3:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, also includes AJ Johnson and a pick swap going to the Wizards. The Bucks will also receive Patrick Baldwin Jr. and second-round draft compensation.
Middleton, 33-years-of-age, along with Antetokounmpo was tied for the distinction of longest-tenured Buck, joining the squad in July of 2013 as an under the radar throw-in to the Brandon Jennings for Brandon Knight trade. He went on to become one of the greatest players in franchise history, earning three All-Star nods and helping Milwaukee win the 2021 championship over the Phoenix Suns in six games.
Ever since that shining moment, though, Middleton has struggled to stay healthy and on the court, due to a plethora of injuries. When the Bucks were attempting to defend their title in 2022, Middleton was injured in the opening round of the playoffs and subsequently missed their second-round loss to Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics. He took the floor in only 33 games in the 2022-23 season, 55 a year later, and thus far this season has been limited to just 23 appearances, after coming off double ankle surgery, at an average of 23.2 minutes per game. The Bucks have decided that they cannot depend on a healthy Middleton in playoff time and have chosen to move on without him.
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Middleton is owed $31.7 million this season and has a player option for 2025-26 worth $34 million.
They spent the time leading up to the deadline in search of a major addition using Middleton’s salary. They had been linked to Chicago Bulls Zach LaVine before his trade to the Sacramento Kings on Sunday night, but making the finances work on his max contract would have proven to be a challenge. Instead, they landed a cheaper but effective Kuzma, who has championship experience with the Los Angeles Lakers, to fill their gaping hole at the forward spot.
Kuzma, 29-years-old, like Middleton, is a former NBA champion whose career has been on a seesaw ever since. Kuzma won his title with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020 in the Bubble but was included in their 2021 blockbuster acquisition of Russell Westbrook that went wrong in a hurry and has been a Wizard since. He averaged 20.2 points per game on an underachieving team in his first three seasons in the nation’s capital as a Wizards while rebounding well and
providing passable defense.
