Khris Middleton (Photo by Rio Giancarlo/Getty Images)
MILWAUKEE - The Milwaukee Bucks are trading NBA champion and Olympic gold medalist Khris Middleton to the Washington Wizards and getting Kyle Kuzma back in the deal, a person with knowledge of the agreement told The Associated Press on Wednesday.
Bucks-Wizards trade
What they're saying:
Also in the trade: A.J. Johnson goes from the Bucks to the Wizards and Patrick Baldwin – a Milwaukee Panthers alumnus – goes from the Wizards to the Bucks. A future pick swap and some second-round draft capital are also part of the deal, said the person, who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the trade had yet to receive league approval.
The move, first reported by ESPN, came one day before Thursday's 3 p.m. ET NBA trade deadline.
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Khris Middleton
The backstory:
The 33-year-old Middleton, who has struggled with injuries, leaves the Bucks after spending all but one of his 13 NBA seasons in Milwaukee. The three-time All-Star has been limited to 23 games this season, 16 of those coming off the bench, but was shooting a career-best 51% in those appearances.
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Middleton helped the Bucks win the NBA title in 2021, 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."
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.
Kyle Kuzma
By the numbers:
Milwaukee will become Kuzma's third team, after four years with the Los Angeles Lakers and parts of four years with the Wizards. The 29-year-old has averaged 17.2 points per game for his career, 15.2 points per game this season.
The Source: The information in this post was provided by the Associated Press and ESPN's Shams Charania.