Khris Middleton Trade Ideas (MIL-SAC)

[rambo_ortega]

Who would take him? I feel like with his fit, he is an expensive 3rd option to Giannis and Dame. They also need depth and defense so it might be good to trade him to address their needs.

My trade idea would be him going to Sacramento

Kings Get:
- Khris Middleton

They get an All Star veteran with championship who fits perfectly in their roster. This also open up playing time for Monk who is ready to take the leap.

Fox/Monk/Middleton/Murray/Sabonis

Bucks Get:
- Harrison Barnes
- Kevin Huerter

Bucks fill in a couple of voids to balance their roster with talent. Barnes is the perfect 3&D forward alongside Giannis and Huerter would be a great floor spacer for their 2 stars.

Dame/Huerter/Barnes/Giannis/Lopez

Any other ideas?

[slos]

That’s an awful trade for Milwaukee.

[hugepatsfan]

Trading Middleton for depth isn’t an outlandish idea. But the depth should be better than this. Kings fan constantly note the need to improve on these players as starters to get to another level at a team that would still be below the title contender MIL expects to be. So they aren’t going to be suitable starters for MIL either just like they aren’t for SAC.

Now if the Kings added a platter of picks that MIL could use to attach to other contracted players on the roster and bring more widespread improvement, then this could have some juice. But SAC would be better off trading their picks for someone younger than Middleton.

[LightTheBeam]

Man, I'm not attached to Barnes/Huerter by any means, but I just don't know how to feel about Middleton. He definitely isn't opting out, so it's really 2/66 million. I think he still has some left in the tank, but he's more half court and I want Sac to push more pace.

I guess it's not the worst move we can make, but it's not my first choice. If Utah is serious about winning he would be a good fit there as well. 3 team loop with Sac.

Collins/Clarkson to Sac
Barnes/Huerter to Milwaukee
Middleton/Duarte to Utah

Kings get a bigger/better fit, and add a Monk replacement.

Milwaukee gets depth and shooting

Utah adds a better fit at forward with Lauri.

[LightTheBeam]

Trading Middleton for depth isn’t an outlandish idea. But the depth should be better than this. Kings fan constantly note the need to improve on these players as starters to get to another level at a team that would still be below the title contender MIL expects to be. So they aren’t going to be suitable starters for MIL either just like they aren’t for SAC.

Now if the Kings added a platter of picks that MIL could use to attach to other contracted players on the roster and bring more widespread improvement, then this could have some juice. But SAC would be better off trading their picks for someone younger than Middleton.

To be fair I think its a different reason why Kings want to upgrade there.

1. We don't have Giannis/Lillard, our stars are Sabonis/Fox. Pretty significant gap.
2. With Sabonis at center you really have to be above average defensively everywhere else.
3. With Keon and hopefully Monk back, we don't have the need for Huerter we used to.

I think on a team where Giannis/Lopez are locking down the paint, you can get away having weaker perimeter defense. The shooting would be pretty fantastic. Giannis is also a top 5 player in the world. The Kings have 2 borderline top 20ish guys. Now we could rebuild infinitly until we landed a Wemby/Ant, or we can try to keep building/improving around our "stars'.

[Chinook]

I've said before that I'm a huge fan of Middleton to SA, and I think the Spurs could play third team to provide teams some pick compensation that the Bucks basically can't offer. For example, it was rumored that the Bucks were interested in trading for DeJounte. I think there's a trade to be had where the Spurs get Middleton, ATL gets some (but not all, and especially not all plus other things like someone will suggest)of their pick capital returned, and the Bucks get Murray.

[RiotPunch]

Holy hell why on God's green Earth would Milwaukee do this? We are so much worse after this.

I've said before that I'm a huge fan of Middleton to SA, and I think the Spurs could play third team to provide teams some pick compensation that the Bucks basically can't offer. For example, it was rumored that the Bucks were interested in trading for DeJounte. I think there's a trade to be had where the Spurs get Middleton, ATL gets some (but not all, and especially not all plus other things like someone will suggest)of their pick capital returned, and the Bucks get Murray.

While I wouldn't necessarily want to pair Dame/Dejounte, this is an interesting concept. I think Spurs are a sneaky potential Brook spot as well, would be a great mentor for Wemby.

[OxAndFox]

Not a big fan of this TBH.
Middleton has played 99 games in the last 2 years. Barnes has played 171 in that span, and could be argued was a better player than Middleton in 2022-23, if not on the same level.
The season just gone did nothing to help Middleton, playing 55 games and 27mpg.
Then you add in Huerter, who had a down year, but IMO that had as much to do with Mike Brown's mind games at the start of the season and confusion on what his role was going to be last off-season.

Huerter and Barnes aren't just guys the Kings want to get rid of at all costs. They don't have the specific roles for them any more.
I know Keegan Murray would be over the moon with this trade though.

[RiotPunch]

Not a big fan of this TBH.
Middleton has played 99 games in the last 2 years. Barnes has played 171 in that span, and could be argued was a better player than Middleton in 2022-23, if not on the same level.
The season just gone did nothing to help Middleton, playing 55 games and 27mpg.
Then you add in Huerter, who had a down year, but IMO that had as much to do with Mike Brown's mind games at the start of the season and confusion on what his role was going to be last off-season.

Huerter and Barnes aren't just guys the Kings want to get rid of at all costs. They don't have the specific roles for them any more.
I know Keegan Murray would be over the moon with this trade though.

Take a gander at what Khris did in the Pacers series. He is still capable of a gear Barnes has never dreamed of. Health is a legitimate fear, but not ability-- he is still a lethal closer.

Barnes is solid all around, but replacing Middleton with a steady-Eddy like him lowers the ceiling immensely. Kings would be far more dangerous in the postseason with Khris.

[Chinook]

Holy hell why on God's green Earth would Milwaukee do this? We are so much worse after this.

I've said before that I'm a huge fan of Middleton to SA, and I think the Spurs could play third team to provide teams some pick compensation that the Bucks basically can't offer. For example, it was rumored that the Bucks were interested in trading for DeJounte. I think there's a trade to be had where the Spurs get Middleton, ATL gets some (but not all, and especially not all plus other things like someone will suggest)of their pick capital returned, and the Bucks get Murray.

While I wouldn't necessarily want to pair Dame/Dejounte, this is an interesting concept. I think Spurs are a sneaky potential Brook spot as well, would be a great mentor for Wemby.

Because Lopez would be a backup, the Spurs are probably not a great destination for him. I'd love for the team to get him, but they can't justify paying value for him, nor should they send Johnson for him. I wouldn't even want them to use their cap space on him unless they find a way to fill their more pressing holes through the draft.

There was a proposal of Lopez for Zach Collins, Branham and seconds. I'd do that deal, but I don't know if that would make as much sense for Milwaukee as the Bucks fans who proposed the trade thought.

[OxAndFox]

Not a big fan of this TBH.
Middleton has played 99 games in the last 2 years. Barnes has played 171 in that span, and could be argued was a better player than Middleton in 2022-23, if not on the same level.
The season just gone did nothing to help Middleton, playing 55 games and 27mpg.
Then you add in Huerter, who had a down year, but IMO that had as much to do with Mike Brown's mind games at the start of the season and confusion on what his role was going to be last off-season.

Huerter and Barnes aren't just guys the Kings want to get rid of at all costs. They don't have the specific roles for them any more.
I know Keegan Murray would be over the moon with this trade though.

Take a gander at what Khris did in the Pacers series. He is still capable of a gear Barnes has never dreamed of. Health is a legitimate fear, but not ability-- he is still a lethal closer.

Barnes is solid all around, but replacing Middleton with a steady-Eddy like him lowers the ceiling immensely. Kings would be far more dangerous in the postseason with Khris.

Oh I don't doubt the difference in ability between the two when fully healthy and you're absolutely right. It's just that Khris Middleton is rarely fully healthy. That matters. And when you're paying 2/$65m its a huge gamble. Maybe it's worth going for that gamble. But that's why the price isn't huge, because if we were talking about Khris Middleton we all know, the Bucks would never dream of trading him, or the price would at least be sky high. Players don't tend to get more durable as they get older. I'm sceptical he won't have to be seriously managed moving forward.

You still have Huerter in the deal too, and despite the negative fuel around him he is still a good player that had a down season, and as I mentioned, I think that had more to do with Mike Brown's mind games than anything else.

[patman66]

That’s an awful trade for Milwaukee.

I thought it was the opposite. No idea why Sac would go for a small forward. I see Murray being a better player over Middleton (age/health) and Barnes is solid as a backup 3/4. Much better going after John Collins and keeping Huerter for something else.

[nate33]

The idea of the Bucks trading Middleton is just as faulty as the idea of the Bucks trading Lopez.

Middleton and Lopez are both good players, but they're also both old and expensive. You gotta give something to get something. So if they trade Middleton, they will either get back someone younger and cheaper, but worse on the court; or they will get back someone older and more expensive but better on the court. But the problem is, for the Bucks, getting more expensive or older is not an option. So, the only Middleton trade would be one where they get back a worse player. And a contending team isn't looking to get worse.

[gswhoops]

The idea of the Bucks trading Middleton is just as faulty as the idea of the Bucks trading Lopez.

Middleton and Lopez are both good players, but they're also both old and expensive. You gotta give something to get something. So if they trade Middleton, they will either get back someone younger and cheaper, but worse on the court; or they will get back someone older and more expensive but better on the court. But the problem is, for the Bucks, getting more expensive or older is not an option. So, the only Middleton trade would be one where they get back a worse player. And a contending team isn't looking to get worse.

This.

Milwaukee is committed to the Dame/Middleton/Giannis/BroLo core for the foreseeable future. They don't really have the assets to upgrade either Middleton or Lopez and without those assets (as nate notes) trading them is almost certainly going to bring back a less talented player due to age/contract/injury history.

[JayMKE]

RGM way overvalues youth & draft picks, presumably most teams also care about winning too. If on an open market these players would get 20-30m a season I fail to see the logic of them losing all value in a trade.