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NBA trade deadline: Bucks reportedly trade Khris Middleton to Wizards for Kyle Kuzma

Washington Wizards v Minnesota Timberwolves MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - FEBRUARY 01: Kyle Kuzma #33 of the Washington Wizards looks on against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first quarter at Target Center on February 01, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images) (David Berding/Getty Images)

The second act of Kyle Kuzma's career is over after the Washington Wizards traded him to the Milwaukee Bucks for Khris Middleton, per ESPN's Shams Charania. The Bucks are also sending AJ Johnson to Washington, while Milwaukee will also acquire Patrick Baldwin Jr. and second-round draft compensation.

The move ends a four-season tenure for Kuzma in D.C., where the Wizards continue to languish at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings with little hope of a turnaround, in either this season or the next few years. Futility is nothing new for Washington, which hasn't posted a record above .500 since 2017-18.

The Wizards had been known to be interested in trading him for a while.

Kuzma was positioned as one of the team's leaders, but is now having perhaps the worst year of his career. His numbers have gone down across the board thanks to a drop in minutes, and even when adjusting for time and number of possessions, his scoring output is the worst of his Wizards career.

He is also shooting career lows from the field (.419), the 3-point line (.273) and the free-throw line (.590).

Not helping things was when he acknowledged he wasn't that interested in helping his teammates develop, which is basically the only thing the Wizards care about at this point. From The Athletic:

"I think today I just decided to be myself and not really just try to fit into everything that we're doing here, and just really played in the moment," Kuzma said. "I think my mom helped me out with that. I saw her today."

Asked immediately what he meant by playing in the moment and not trying to fit in, Kuzma answered, "I mean just not trying to fit into what we're trying to do here. Just being more assertive, demanding the ball, not just going out there and trying to let people develop. Just playing my game."

The 29-year-old Kuzma got his $102 million payday in the summer of 2023 while the Wizards were engaging in a down-to-the-studs rebuild, but he ended up having little to offer from a long-term outlook. He still has two-and-half years of team control left with decreasing salary cap hits, going from $23.5 million this season to $19.4 million in 2026-27.

Kuzma originally joined the Wizards as part of the return from the Russell Westbrook trade, which was undoubtedly a win for the team. He went from being a supporting piece with the Los Angeles Lakers to a more featured player with the Wizards and it worked for a while, there was really nothing left to be done in D.C.

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