Grading the Khris Middleton-Kyle Kuzma trade: What does this do for the Bucks and Wizards?

The Milwaukee Bucks just made a trade that in many ways will be franchise-altering.

Khris Middleton, who helped the Bucks win the 2021 NBA championship and was a mainstay who’d been around for as long as Giannis Antetokounmpo, is now a Washington Wizard, which already feels weird to type out.

Here’s the full deal:

• Wizards receive: Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson and a 2028 first-round pick swap

• Bucks receive: Kyle Kuzma, Patrick Baldwin Jr. and a 2025 second-round selection

Milwaukee Bucks: C

It’s an odd deal, on many levels, for both teams. The Bucks had seen firsthand that Middleton was a shell of his former self due to myriad injuries. On the surface, there is a level of logic in pivoting off him, even for a player who spent the previous two seasons averaging 21.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 4 assists per game.

However, the Bucks do lose key components in Middleton. While his game is no longer built for 35 minutes per night, the 33-year-old wing is still an efficient shooter (40.7% from deep), a steady playmaker and a calming presence on the floor.

Yes, his defense has slipped due to the injuries and that’s certainly an area of concern, but it’s not like the Bucks got a player back who stands out on that end of the floor.

Middleton’s mindful approach to basketball shouldn’t be taken for granted. The Bucks can still trust him to make decisions, be mistake-free and act as the adult in the room on and off the court.

The Bucks did get under the second apron with this deal and can now aggregate contracts in trades. But they have just $1.3 million of wiggle room and very few assets to play around with. Gaining flexibility is good, but let’s wait to see if they can utilize it before we talk that angle up too much.

Given that Kuzma, 29, is going through one of the roughest seasons of his career (15.2 points, 48.8 TS%), there’s risk involved here. The deal seems, on the surface, to be one where the Bucks acquired a player capable of having his minutes extended, but that’s where you have to wonder what’s best: 23 minutes of ironclad stability, or 30-plus minutes of gunslinging and a severe lack of predictability?

The Bucks swung big here, hoping that replacing stability with volatility will pay off. That’s usually not the best of bets.

As it stands, it’s tough to give them more than a C, unless Kuzma suddenly returns to form and in the process receives a bump in efficiency.

Washington Wizards: C+

For Washington, the deal doesn’t make a ton of obvious sense either.

Sure, the team gets a pick swap and a chance to see what AJ Johnson can do, but Middleton doesn’t fit their timeline, nor is he necessarily projected to be a free agent this summer, as he has a player option worth $34 million, which he’s likely to pick up.

So let’s see if we can’t find some semblance of logic here.

One element that could be intriguing is to tie Middleton to the hip of second-year forward Bilal Coulibaly and ask him to mentor the 20-year-old. The two aren’t entirely dissimilar in size and skill set, which does lend its hand to Middleton being able to share words of wisdom with the young Frenchman.

If Middleton assists in unlocking Coulibaly further, that’s easily worth the $34 million investment for next season, almost regardless as to what Middleton himself produces.

That said, it does appear somewhat odd that this was what the Wizards could get for Kuzma.

Bad season aside, big wings in today’s NBA who can do a little bit of everything, especially with the ball in their hands, tend to have more value, particularly if they aren’t limited physically and are under the age of 30, both of which Kuzma clears.

You’d think the Wizards were looking to get younger or perhaps lean into a package consisting of more draft equity. Kuzma, who has been rumored as a trade candidate for the past two years, was frequently brought up as a player for whom teams were willing to fork over substantial value.

That said, if such a package never truly existed, which would explain why the Wizards didn’t pull the trigger on a trade before, then that’s the reality of the situation.

A grade of C+ feels right for the Wizards, given that they acquired a highly respected veteran who should make for a more seamless inclusion on the team, as well as act as a mentor for the organization’s young players.

Unlike the Bucks, the Wizards are in no rush and that makes this deal easier to digest for Washington.