With the NBA Trade Deadline looming, the Milwaukee Bucks and Washington Wizards have contacted each other about a possible trade centered around Kyle Kuzma. The Bucks have been looking to upgrade their roster around Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard. Many hoped Khris Middleton could be the tertiary star to help the dynamic duo, but injuries have hampered his performance the last couple seasons. Now, Middleton could be on the move. A Kuzma for Middleton trade could give the Bucks a more athletic and consistent player at the wing position for this season. Kyle Kuzma has been one of the hotter commodities on the trade market this season and could find himself on a contending team soon.
Milwaukee Bucks and Washington Wizards Have Discussed Khris Middleton, Kyle Kuzma Swap
Khris Middleton’s Struggles This Year
Injuries have continued to plague Milwaukee’s three-time All-Star. He has only appeared in seven matchups as of February 4th and is tallying career lows in multiple statistical categories ever since his first All-Star campaign in the 2018-19 season. So far this season, Middleton is averaging only 12.6 points, 4.4 assists, 0.7 steals, and 3.7 total rebounds per game. He is still shooting ball effectively, authoring a field goal percentage of 51.2 percent to couple with a three-point shooting percentage of 40.7 percent. Unfortunately for Middleton, the lingering ankle injury has hurt his value this season making him a trade-able asset for the Milwaukee Bucks organization. As beloved as Middleton is in the city of Milwaukee, he could be on the move if the right deal comes along for the Bucks.
Kyle Kuzma’s Season
Kuzma is a very capable wing. Unfortunately, his skill-set tends to get overlooked because he plays on the Washington Wizards, who are currently last place in the Eastern Conference. Kuzma still has some head-scratching moments here and there. However, that should not detract from what he could bring to a team with legitimate NBA Finals aspirations. This year, he is averaging 15.2 points per game on 42.0 percent shooting from the field.
If he were to play with a star point guard like Damian Lillard, this efficiency would most likely improve. Kuzma is also tallying 5.8 total rebounds, a defensive win-share total of 0.3, and a defensive rebounding percentage of 18.8 percent. These numbers may not jump off the charts, but if he were to land with a team like the Bucks, Kuzma’s individual performance would instantly improve. Not to mention, he would bring some much-needed offense to the wing position for Milwaukee.
