Shams: Bucks are trading Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson & a pick swap to the Wizards for Kyle Kuzma, Patrick Baldwins Jr

Mr.Raptorsingh · Post #241 » by **Mr.Raptorsingh** » Wed Feb 5, 2025 8:31 pm

AFM wrote:
Dennis Reynolds wrote:

Read on Twitter

"Kuz having a tough time with the basketball!" I'll be happy to not hear that anymore...

Gotdang is there a door open in that arena :lol:

The Laker Kid · Post #242 » by **The Laker Kid** » Wed Feb 5, 2025 8:36 pm

Kuz with that Lakers tariff built in.

slos · Post #243 » by **slos** » Wed Feb 5, 2025 8:42 pm

Midds for Kuzma straight up would have been a fair trade. The swap doesn't matter at all since Milwaukee has already swapt that pick with Portland. The Johnson part for a 40ish pick makes this trade hard to swallow. If Horst needed to add value that 2031 SRP was more than OK.

Drakeem · Post #244 » by **Drakeem** » Wed Feb 5, 2025 8:44 pm

JJ_PR wrote:
Froob wrote:Hope those of you who killed the Celtics for sending IT to a contender keep that same energy for the Bucks sending a key title contributor to the worst team in the association.

The Celts did that trade because of Kyrie, not to do IT a favor. It killed IT’s career.

Middleton already made generational wealth. The Bucks are struggling and needed to do something.

Can’t compare this move and the IT move at all. Danny Ainge is a snake.

Also, the Wizards are an interesting young team. I’d be thrilled to go there and offer veteran mentorship.

The trade didn't kill anything. His career would have been dead regardless of where he ended up.

cgf · Post #245 » by **cgf** » Wed Feb 5, 2025 8:50 pm

Blame Rasho wrote:
BBallFreak wrote:Wow, no clue what Milwaukee is thinking. Kuzma is terrible...

I know he was bad… but actually looked up his shooting stats , namely 3 point shooting… good lord. 28 percent… that is vomit enducing.

Kuz is having a horrible season, but would anyone actually be surprised if he started performing a lot better once on a good team again? Washington has let him develop as a playmaker, but they're not trying to win many games...

RRR3 · Post #246 » by **RRR3** » Wed Feb 5, 2025 8:58 pm

I seriously question anyone’s ability to analyze basketball if they think Kuzma is anything other than horrendous.

LeBron and AD dragging him kicking and screaming to a ring means nothing in regards to his abilities or lack thereof as a player.

Up-And-Coming · Post #247 » by **Up-And-Coming** » Wed Feb 5, 2025 9:01 pm

Kuzma won't be as inefficient as he's been in Washington but he also won't be as efficient as Middleton was in his role. He may make up for it with his rebounding (the one skill he's clearly better than Middleton at), availability and effort. He's not a great defender but he moves fairly well at 6'10 and tries hard and he's on a cheaper contract. Reduced his trade kicker to help the Bucks make another move and they get 2nd round compensation from the Wizards which could be pretty good. Bucks gave up AJ Johnson who has struggled but still young and a '28 swap which I don't think will be conveyed. Decent deal I guess.

Post #248 » by **floppymoose** » Wed Feb 5, 2025 9:03 pm

AFM wrote:
BBallFreak wrote:Wow, no clue what Milwaukee is thinking. Kuzma is terrible...

Kuzma is terrible but they get under the second apron I believe. It's a $ move.

^this. People said during the GSW champ years that the new CBA made no difference in team construction.

They were wrong. GSW made moves last offseason to get under 2nd apron. Other teams doing this too. It is weakening the rosters on teams that spend a lot, as designed.

cgf · Post #249 » by **cgf** » Wed Feb 5, 2025 9:29 pm

Up-And-Coming wrote:Kuzma won't be as inefficient as he's been in Washington but he also won't be as efficient as Middleton was in his role. He may make up for it with his rebounding (the one skill he's clearly better than Middleton at), availability and effort. He's not a great defender but he moves fairly well at 6'10 and tries hard and he's on a cheaper contract. Reduced his trade kicker to help the Bucks make another move and they get 2nd round compensation from the Wizards which could be pretty good. Bucks gave up AJ Johnson who has struggled but still young and a '28 swap which I don't think will be conveyed. Decent deal I guess.

With the way Middleton moves now-a-days, Kuzma may not be a great defender, but he should still be a significant upgrade defensively...though AJ Johnson was a better defender than either Kuz or Khris.

CelticSooner · Post #250 » by **CelticSooner** » Wed Feb 5, 2025 9:41 pm

There has to be another move here.

Ducklett · Post #251 » by **Ducklett** » Wed Feb 5, 2025 9:44 pm

Mr.Raptorsingh wrote:
AFM wrote:
Dennis Reynolds wrote:

Read on Twitter

"Kuz having a tough time with the basketball!" I'll be happy to not hear that anymore...

Gotdang is there a door open in that arena

Shaqtin a Fool.... a whole episode of one dude just this season? Amazing. Thank you for this.

Decipher · Post #252 » by **Decipher** » Wed Feb 5, 2025 9:47 pm

cgf wrote:
Blame Rasho wrote:
BBallFreak wrote:Wow, no clue what Milwaukee is thinking. Kuzma is terrible...

I know he was bad… but actually looked up his shooting stats , namely 3 point shooting… good lord. 28 percent… that is vomit enducing.

Kuz is having a horrible season, but would anyone actually be surprised if he started performing a lot better once on a good team again? Washington has let him develop as a playmaker, but they're not trying to win many games...

I would

He’s always been the very definition of empty stats

Even this version of Midds for Kuzma is a laughably bad trade unless the Bucks have something in mind for the financial savings

Dubious Handles · Post #253 » by **Dubious Handles** » Wed Feb 5, 2025 9:48 pm

Dennis Reynolds wrote:

Read on Twitter

Thanks for sharing this was an awesome compilation :lol:

now im sad for the trash bros breakup though

ITYSL · Post #254 » by **ITYSL** » Wed Feb 5, 2025 9:50 pm

By itself, it's a downgrade for the Bucks - lateral move at best. The Bucks as constructed before were not going to win the championship, and today's trade doesn't change that significantly one way or the other.

If it frees the Bucks up to trade for a big star like Butler, then this is a great move.

LakersSoul · Post #255 » by **LakersSoul** » Wed Feb 5, 2025 9:55 pm

CoP wrote:By itself, it's a downgrade for the Bucks - lateral move at best. The Bucks as constructed before were not going to win the championship, and today's trade doesn't change that significantly one way or the other.

If it frees the Bucks up to trade for a big star like Butler, then this is a great move.

More than likely, next big trade is Greek Freak and other vets for rebuilding FRPs.

theFireBlanket · Post #256 » by **theFireBlanket** » Wed Feb 5, 2025 10:57 pm

LakersSoul wrote:
CoP wrote:By itself, it's a downgrade for the Bucks - lateral move at best. The Bucks as constructed before were not going to win the championship, and today's trade doesn't change that significantly one way or the other.

If it frees the Bucks up to trade for a big star like Butler, then this is a great move.

More than likely, next big trade is Greek Freak and other vets for rebuilding FRPs.

Only if Giannis asked for it.

EArl · Post #257 » by **EArl** » Wed Feb 5, 2025 11:16 pm

DKB333 wrote:They got more handsome and that is about it here.

The drip went up substantially in Milwaukee. They also took a drop in their IQ.

EArl · Post #258 » by **EArl** » Wed Feb 5, 2025 11:19 pm

This isn't the worst trade like ppl are making it to be. Kris is washed. Besides his BBIQ, Kris doesn't do anything better than Kuzma at this point.

SomeBunghole · Post #259 » by **SomeBunghole** » Wed Feb 5, 2025 11:40 pm

AFM wrote:"Kuz having a tough time with the basketball!" I'll be happy to not hear that anymore...

I'm sure he meant to say "Kuz having a tough time with basketball."

Dan Z · Post #260 » by **Dan Z** » Wed Feb 5, 2025 11:59 pm

Milwaukee did this deal, in part, for money and nba rule reasons.

Notably, according to ESPN's Bobby Marks, Kuzma has agreed to reduced his trade bonus to help push this deal through for the Bucks. That matters because this deal saves the Bucks enough money to get under the second apron. Teams above the second apron cannot aggregate salaries in trades, meaning Milwaukee was limited in the sort of moves it could make to improve ahead of Thursday's 3 p.m. ET deadline.

Now, however, the Bucks can aggregate salaries, and that therefore opens the door to a number of follow-up moves. The likeliest course for them now would be to attempt to aggregate the salaries of Pat Connaughton and Bobby Portis, who make around $22 million combined, to trade for another significant piece. They still have their 2031 first-round pick at their disposal to entice sellers as well.

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/bucks-trade-khris-middleton-for-wizards-kyle-kuzma-as-milwaukee-parts-ways-with-title-winning-veteran/