Bucks trade Khris Middleton to Wizards in deal for Kyle Kuzma: report

The Milwaukee Bucks are shaking up the supporting formed astir Giannis Antetokounmpo.

The Bucks agreed to commercialized seasoned guardant Khris Middleton to the Washington Wizards successful a bundle that brings backmost guardant Kyle Kuzma, according to ESPN.

Washington besides receives a prime swap and defender AJ Johnson successful the deal, portion guardant Patrick Baldwin Jr. and second-round draught compensation volition spell backmost to Milwaukee.

In Kuzma, the Bucks adhd different scorer to complement Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard. Kuzma, 29, scored 15.2 points per crippled with the NBA-worst Wizards this play but averaged much than 21 points per crippled successful some of the erstwhile two.

The commercialized marks the extremity of an epoch successful Milwaukee, wherever Middleton spent the past 11 seasons, earned 3 All-Star selections and was 1 of the cardinal players connected the Bucks squad that won the NBA Finals successful 2021.

Middleton, 33, missed the archetypal 21 games of this play aft undergoing offseason ankle surgeries. His 12.6 points and 3.7 rebounds per crippled are his lowest marks since 2013-14, though helium is shooting 51.2% from the tract and 40.7% from 3-point range.

Originally a second-round prime by Detroit, Middleton has not played much than 55 games successful a play since 2021-22.

The Bucks rebounded from a 2-8 commencement to the play with wins successful 24 of their adjacent 34 games. They began Wednesday with a 26-22 record, bully for the 5th successful the Eastern Conference.

But Milwaukee entered Wednesday night’s crippled successful Charlotte arsenic losers of 4 games successful a enactment and 5 of their past six.

Middleton and Kuzma are the latest large names to alteration teams earlier Thursday’s NBA commercialized deadline.

Over the weekend, the Los Angeles Lakers acquired Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks for a bundle that included Anthony Davis successful a stunning blockbuster that shook the sports world.

The San Antonio Spurs past acquired All-Star constituent defender De’Aaron Fox from the Sacramento Kings, giving Victor Wembanyama a caller moving mate. That three-team commercialized besides progressive the Chicago Bulls, who sent Zach LaVine to Sacramento.