Wizards trade Kyle Kuzma to Bucks for Khris Middleton, pick swap

The Wizards and Bucks have agreed to a trade that will send Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, and a pick swap to Washington in exchange for Kyle Kuzma, Patrick Baldwin Jr., and a second-round pick, sources tell ESPN’s Shams Charania.

Josh Robbins and David Aldridge of The Athletic, who reported on the Kuzma/Middleton talks between the two teams on Tuesday, followed on up Wednesday to say that Johnson, Baldwin, and draft assets were also involved in the structure being discussed.

Middleton, a Buck since the 2013 offseason, had a highly successful 12-season run with the franchise, earning three All-Star berths and playing a key role on the team that won a championship in 2021. However, he had been plagued by injuries in recent years, most recently undergoing surgeries on both ankles last offseason.

Middleton has been limited to 23 games so far this season and is averaging just 23.2 minutes per night, his lowest mark since his rookie year. While he has shot the ball efficiently (.512/.407/.848), the 33-year-old hasn’t looked like the same two-way impact player he was before his health issues.

By swapping out Middleton for Kuzma, the Bucks will acquire a forward who is four years younger (29), is on a more team-friendly contract, and hasn’t been afflicted as significantly by the injury bug.

However, Kuzma hasn’t had a great season either. His shooting percentages of 42.0% from the field and 28.1% on three-pointers are easily career lows, and he’s averaging just 15.2 points per game after putting up 21.7 PPG in his first two years in D.C.

Kuzma recently suggested in comments to reporters that he didn’t adjust well this season as the Wizards pivoted to prioritizing opportunities for their younger players. That shouldn’t be an issue in Milwaukee, where Kuzma is joining a potential contender led by superstars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard. According to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line, a vote of support for Kuzma from Antetokounmpo factored into the Bucks’ decision to move forward on this deal.

The Wizards nearly moved Kuzma at last season’s trade deadline, but were reportedly lukewarm on an offer from the Mavericks and decided not to accept it after speaking to him about it. A year later, he’s headed to the Bucks instead.

The financial aspect of this trade is an important motivator for Milwaukee as well. The combined salaries of Kuzma ($23.5M) and Baldwin ($2.4M) are well below that of Middleton ($31.7M) and Johnson ($2.8M), allowing the Bucks — who had been operating about $6.5M above the second tax apron — to move below that threshold and generating substantial savings on their end-of-season tax bill.

Kuzma had a 15% trade kicker that would have increased his cap hit by roughly $2.5M per season, but sources tell ESPN’s Bobby Marks that the forward agreed to reduce that bonus in order to allow the Bucks to get below the second apron, giving them more roster-building options in the present and future.

With Baldwin’s salary coming off the books at season’s end and Kuzma replacing Middleton and Johnson on next season’s cap, the Bucks are now in position to potentially get out of luxury tax territory altogether in 2025-26, notes cap expert Yossi Gozlan.

The Wizards, meanwhile, will take on some extra salary this season and likely next season as well, since Middleton has a $34M player option for 2025-26 that he’s expected to exercise. In return, Washington will get the opportunity to take a flier on a 2024 first-round pick in Johnson, who appeared in just seven games with the Bucks.

The Wizards will also gain the ability to swap first-round picks in 2028 with Milwaukee, reports NBA insider Chris Haynes. Portland already has the right to swap its first-round pick for Milwaukee’s first-rounder in ’28, so Washington would subsequently have the opportunity to swap its own pick for whichever first-rounder the Bucks end up with.

Meanwhile, the Bucks will receive a 2025 second-round pick in the deal, Haynes adds. According to Eric Nehm of The Athletic, it’ll be the most favorable of the three second-rounders controlled by Washington. The language around those picks is convoluted, but it’ll almost certainly end up being the most favorable of the Detroit, Golden State, and Phoenix second-rounders. Those three teams are all currently within a half-game of each other.