NBA Trades: The Milwaukee Bucks needed to make a huge move and the front office came through with a deal for Kyle Kuzma.
Considering one of the most desperate and aggressive teams heading into the NBA Trade Deadline, the Milwaukee Bucks have made their big move. The hope is that this is a move that ends up sparking the team down the stretch as they look to reemerge as a contender in the Eastern Conference. Officially, the Bucks acquired Kyle Kuzma (and Patrick Baldwin Jr. and a second-round draft pick) from the Washington Wizards in exchange for Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, and a pick swap.
The Bucks add a much-needed scoring punch on the wing with Kuzma while also parting ways with the aging Middleton. After 12 great years with the Bucks, it was clearly time for both sides to move on. And with his contract, if the Bucks wanted to make a big move at the trade deadline, they almost had to include him in a deal.
Where do both teams go from here?
The Wizards officially move on from Kuzma as they look to double down on their desire to turn over the roster. What happens with Middleton will be interesting to keep an eye on. With one year remaining on his contract after this season, it wouldn't be surprising if he emerged as a potential trade candidate (once again) sooner rather than later. I can't imagine the Wizards will be able to flip his contract before tomorrow's NBA Trade Deadline but I suppose nothing is on the table.
With still other veterans on the trade block, the Wizards may not be completely done either. Names like Malcolm Brogdon and Jonas Valanciunas could very well be moved before the deadline this week. For Milwaukee, they could still look to trade Pat Connaughton and/or Bobby Portis if they wanted. However, this move does check the box of an impactful addition heading into the stretch run.
How the addition of Kuzma ends up working out for the Bucks remains to be seen. If there's one thing that is certain, it's the fact that the Bucks were aggressive in their pursuits for a roster-altering move. Kuzma has his faults as a player but could feast offensively next to Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard. Considering how inconsistent Middleton had become of late (mostly due to injury), this was a move that needed to happen.
The Bucks are all-in on making some noise heading into the postseason. Whether or not this move will prove to make all the difference for this team remains to be seen. While I'm sure this move will be quite polarizing, you can't fault the Bucks for their aggressiveness, however.