After yet another year of failing to make it out of the first round but it may be a move that benefits the team moving forward a ton of teams will be knocking on the Bucks' door Only a handful of teams, if that is the case, could come up with a package to trade for the Greek Freak. With the Bucks' season over, trade rumors will swirl. Eric Nehm, David Aldridge, Eric Koreen, Tony Jones, and Sam Vecenie of The Athletic constructed four different realistic trades for Antetokounmpo This one trade sees the Bucks deal Antetokounmpo alongside Kyle Kuzma to the Toronto Raptors in a massive package deal 2030 pick swap (Milwaukee gets second choice of Bucks "Raptors president Masai Ujiri has wanted Antetokounmpo since before he came into the league the Bucks get a foundational player defensively and a playmaker in the style of Antetokounmpo get as many picks as the Raptors can give them but save for getting the Raptors’ lottery pick this year — and if Toronto doesn’t win the lottery it could be on the table — it is a haul."  The Bucks walk away with a significant return—three first-round draft selections in this scenario Milwaukee possesses just one of its future first-rounders Although parting ways with Antetokounmpo would be far from ideal a move of this magnitude could ultimately benefit a franchise that is currently stuck in no man's land Getting rid of Kuzma would hurt a little less His time in Milwaukee was not what many expected especially during their playoff series against Indiana Kuzma played some of the worst basketball in his career and it is clear that he is not the third option the Bucks had hoped for This trade not only helps the Bucks acquire vital assets but also allows them to acquire some key players who could help them in the meantime More Bucks: Wild Trade Proposal Sees Bucks Sends Damian Lillard to East Rival For more news and notes about the Milwaukee Bucks, head on over to Milwaukee Bucks on SI RICARDO KLEIN The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Sports Illustrated or its affiliates All picks and predictions are suggestions only and not a guarantee of success or profit If you or someone you know has a gambling problem crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page The Washington Wizards may be indirectly to blame for the Milwaukee Bucks’ downfall While they didn’t even come close to the Play-In they had a hand in a move that eventually led to the Bucks losing in the first round of the playoffs against the Indiana Pacers Did the Wizards get more bang for their buck This swap looked best for both teams at the time and with the other young pieces eventually finding rhythm Kuzma’s numbers should’ve been better This was undoubtedly one of the worst seasons in the 29-year-old’s career Middleton is in the twilight of his career Injuries have sidelined him significantly since the Bucks won the title in 2021 and he played just 23 games this year before the trade While anyone would like to see that number rise his effectiveness in the games he played was remarkable the highest mark of his career and his first time shooting over 50% Johnson never really saw the court in his half-season with the Bucks he averaged 2.9 points and never got to showcase his potential for the team Kuzma and Middleton had their struggles to begin the year One was injury-prone on a big player-option and the players were swapped into completely different roles These two teams were and still are in vastly different competitive stages in the league while the Wizards are building to fight for a playoff spot Here’s how the trade played out for the franchises Time will tell if Kuzma can become a good fit for the Bucks Washington is loving their situation away from him Middleton and Johnson came to Washington fresh and helped push the team to its best month of the season They made solid contributions and were two big pieces as the season wound down Johnson got the minutes he needed to show his skills. Not only was he a solid rotational piece, averaging 27 minutes, but Johnson may have earned a bigger role for the future While his shooting could use a little work with marks of 38.1% from the field and 24.7% from three with the Wizards he showed that he can hit the bucket consistently he reached double-digit points eight times Middleton wasn’t added to be a significant contributor on offense his veteran leadership makes him one of the most important pieces on the roster and 13 years of experience make him one of the best veterans to have guiding one of the younger rosters in the league He averaged 10.7 points across 14 games with the Wizards While he’s not the Middleton of the past Trading the struggling Kuzma in exchange for a little-used rookie and an injury-prone vet looked like a lose-lose for both franchises Washington is far better off than Milwaukee With both teams done with the 2024-25 season it’ll be interesting to see how they continue to build and which will come out ahead The Orlando Magic’s biggest need is no secret one of their potential trade targets has been revealed as well The Cleveland Cavaliers knew ahead of time that Darius Garland wouldn’t be available for Game 1 of their second-round playoff series against the Indiana Pacers The Denver Nuggets surprised many when they turned their series against the Los Angeles Clippers around after trailing 2-1 The 29-year-old Kuzma was available on Saturday in Game 1 of the Bucks' first-round playoff series against the Indiana Pacers Kuzma's final stat line in 22 minutes was full of zeros to complete a historically bad showing It was a forgettable first playoff start for Kuzma, who revealed after the game he injured his left thumb in the first quarter Kuzma, who has playoff experience when he was with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020 and 2021 wasn't the only starter who didn't score in the loss But it was Kuzma's stat line that had the attention of the NBA world on social media. The Milwaukee Bucks enter the offseason with the goal of keeping Giannis Antetokounmpo happy by tweaking the roster to remain competitive around him Their top priority along the way should be retaining Gary Trent Jr averaging 18.5 points and 2.6 steals per contest while shooting 50 percent from distance in the NBA Playoffs against Indiana Trent is due for a raise when he enters free agency the Bucks have a new tool that could allow them to keep Trent in the 414 The Kyle Kuzma trade has caused plenty of controversy, especially after his role quickly fizzled on the biggest stage in the postseason. However, it could help the Milwaukee Bucks mightily this offseason, as the trade took them out of the second apron and gave them legitimate flexibility to utilize to patch up the roster Per The Athletic's Eric Nehm and Sam Amick the Bucks will have access to the non-taxpayer midlevel exception this offseason giving the Bucks a legitimate asset to entice free agents Milwaukee can split up that amount between multiple players If the Milwaukee Bucks do indeed use the exception fully on Trent He was arguably the team's second-best player in the playoffs meaning the wing could be a building block for the franchise moving forward The Bucks have been looking for a steady starting shooting guard for years Trent embodies exactly the kind of basketball the Milwaukee Bucks should look to play following their collapse to the Indiana Pacers hitting an array of clutch shots and making timely defensive plays on the big stage has the chops to be a legitimate two-way weapon for this team as they aim to bounce back Free agency is still a few months away, so the Milwaukee Bucks have time to prepare. However, once it opens, retaining Trent should be the first order of business, even if it costs a good chunk of change Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis © 2025 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Minute Media or its affiliates and related brands The Kyle Kuzma trade has caused plenty of controversy, especially after his role quickly fizzled on the biggest stage in the postseason. However, it could help the Milwaukee Bucks mightily this offseason, as the trade took them out of the second apron and gave them legitimate flexibility to utilize to patch up the roster Free agency is still a few months away, so the Milwaukee Bucks have time to prepare. However, once it opens, retaining Trent should be the first order of business, even if it costs a good chunk of change The Bucks might have their two guard of the future Kuzma did not record a single stat besides missed shots and fouls: zero points zero blocks and two fouls on 0 of 5 from the field and 0 of 2 from the free throw line Kuzma is the sixth player in NBA history (at least since steals and blocks started being recorded in the 1973-74 season) to play at least 20 minutes and have a zero in all five major stat categories Here is a look at the other five players to "achieve" this feat: Bucks coach Doc Rivers tried to defend Kuzma already the butt of countless jokes on social media "It's hard to score when you don't touch the ball," Rivers said but we gotta involve him and we gotta make sure we keep him involved."  Kuzma actually had three shots in the first half and only one of his five attempts in the game came with fewer than five seconds remaining on the shot clock Kuzma's lack of touches on the offense doesn't explain why he couldn't grab a rebound or make any sort of impact on the defensive end Zooming out, Kuzma's no-show highlights the Bucks' issues with their supporting cast around Giannis Antetokounmpo The Greek Freak had 36 points on 14 of 23 from the field, while the rest of the team managed 62 points on 21 of 61 (34.4%) shooting. Two starters (Kuzma and Taurean Prince) went scoreless, and no one besides Antetokounmpo had more than 15 points (AJ Green) "I thought our offense was awful," Rivers said "I thought our offense contributed as much to our defense as anything We just didn't play the way we've played during this stretch offensively.. We're not gonna beat them when we have 98 points We're not gonna beat them when we have 15 assists and 10 turnovers Even without Damian Lillard who has been sidelined since March 18 due to a blood clot the Bucks were one of the best offensive teams in the league down the stretch They achieved that through Antetokounmpo's brilliance and elite 3-point shooting but also strong play from the rest of the roster There were always real questions, though, about whether the likes of Kuzma, Prince, Ryan Rollins, Kevin Porter Jr and Green could maintain that level of production in the playoffs though the Bucks won't shoot as poorly as they did in Game 1 (9 of 37 from beyond the arc) over the course of the series The good news for the Bucks is that Lillard has been cleared to return to basketball activities and is expected to return in either Game 2 or 3 Lillard is a playoff riser and would give the Bucks another proven shotmaker whom the Pacers would have to respect would make the Pacers' defense think and move in more ways than it currently has to with only Antetokounmpo out there just how much Lillard can give the Bucks after being sidelined for a month with a serious health scare the Bucks are going to need more from Kuzma and Co Milwaukee Bucks star Kyle Kuzma and fiancee Winnie Harlow went for a sporty sneaker vibe while on a date night in Miami on Saturday For the night, Harlow showcased a pair of the “Black Owens” sock sneakers from Rick Owens which instantly standout due to their black and white contrasting panels they also feature grained lambskin material which itself features a buffed calfskin cap toe upper and with a padded calfskin footbed serving as the base the model wore a pair of grey silky shorts which she paired with a long sleeve fitted grey top Harlow was also seen carrying the Hermès Kelly Sellier bag which is made with Craie Epsom leather and palladium hardware MORE: Livvy Dunne gets pretty in pink at Kentucky Derby She kept her makeup natural, wearing a pair of glasses while tying her locks into a sleek ponytail. Kuzma, too, opted for a pair of Rick Owens sneakers, wearing the brand’s DRKSHDW Hollywood Low “Denim” shoes and includes a denim design in the upper that is beautifully contrasted by their off-white lace design The silhouette is completed by a chunky rubber outsole that has a slightly elevated platform Kuzma then asked Harlow to marry him on the final line of a poem he wrote for her. "I never really asked her what type of ring she liked or anything," Kuzma recalled to the publication." "I just wanted to draw a picture of what I felt resembled her — something that was elegant but very timeless and simplistic at the same time," he continued Lillard pulled up his chair at his locker beside Kuzma Until then, Kuzma's arrival in Milwaukee had gone smoothly. The team had stormed out of the All-Star break, winning seven of eight, and Kuzma had joked that he had won more during this stretch than his entire tenure with the Washington Wizards breaking down what had gone right and wrong in the game They also took time to get to know each other a postgame session that has become common since they became teammates Kuzma's postgame chats with Lillard have turned into dinners on the road Kuzma typically sits next to Antetokounmpo that really stands out the biggest," Kuzma told ESPN "What they do on a day-to-day basis and just how they lead very encouraging for you to be your best self." The trade that brought Kuzma to Milwaukee marked a dramatic shift in team history and a continuing trend in a changing era for the franchise. The four-team deal Bucks general manager Jon Horst orchestrated before the trade deadline meant the team had to give up Khris Middleton Horst called trading Middleton after 11½ seasons with the franchise the toughest deal of his life but he considered the deal not as a "Khris or Kyle comparison" even if he knew it was inevitable "It's still the awesome responsibility to try to take this franchise and maximize the window that we have now," Horst said a few days after the Feb what we think gives us the best chance to win It's the team before the trade deadline and the team after the trade deadline." After two straight first-round playoff losses the team responded by firing two coaches before hiring Doc Rivers making a franchise-altering trade for Lillard and moving on from Middleton has averaged 13.5 points and 7.0 rebounds in 17 games for Milwaukee. Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty ImagesKuzma is averaging 33.6 minutes since joining the team and fits the profile of a player who could amplify the Bucks' pace (they rank No 8 this season; they were second in their championship season in 2020-2021) and help power the league's second-ranked perimeter attack "I love the way he plays," Antetokounmpo said last month He takes that [toughest] matchup in the last final minutes Horst said he assessed his roster before the deadline, and thought the Bucks with Kuzma gave them more opportunities to match up with the rest of the conference in the postseason. For a team charged with maximizing each season of Antetokounmpo's prime the Bucks made a move for a player they believe is more versatile and reliable THE PREVIOUS ERA of the Bucks had gone through an evolution for some time Acquiring Kuzma was a continuation of Horst's efforts to build the team around Antetokounmpo and Lillard you have a skill set that will allow him to play a lot of different roles based on the matchup in the ways that Giannis and Dame need them," Horst said "There's a variety of ways in which he can fill different roles because of his versatility that makes our one and two even better." even though he had been on the team since 2013-14 and owns the franchise record for career 3-pointers and is the team's third-leading scorer all time (behind Antetokounmpo and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.) Acquired as a G League player at the start of his career Middleton rose to become a three-time NBA All-Star next to Antetokounmpo co-starring as a key contributor in Milwaukee's first title in 50 years knee injuries affected Middleton's availability He sprained his MCL in the 2022 playoffs and missed 10 games He missed the start of the following season while recovering from offseason wrist surgery then missed an additional 18 straight games that season because of knee soreness He missed 102 games in three seasons after the title run delaying the start of his season until December Milwaukee started the season 2-8, in part because the team needed to turn to young players such as Andre Jackson Jr. and AJ Green with Middleton sidelined after the Bucks had won nine of their past 12 games to get back to .500 there was some frustration for Bucks players in trying to fit Middleton back into the starting lineup which led to Middleton being brought off the bench Middleton played more than 25 minutes in a game only twice after Jan Horst called Middleton's lack of availability in recent seasons a minimal factor in the trade but the fact that he did the deal signaled otherwise They don't have time for guys missing a game or two to nurse injuries or get back right," Middleton told The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel after the trade There's no cushion where you can take games like we have in the past "I tried to be out there as much as I could I'm not going to be upset with them about anything about that The Bucks tried to find chemistry among Antetokounmpo but injuries never gave them much chance to do so They played 197 minutes together over 18 games this season they were limited to just 105 minutes over five games "It was a pretty realistic view on this group: When healthy I thought the group could compete with anyone," Horst said "I think that Kyle gives us more chances to compete with more different teams at different matchups." The trade also brought the Bucks under the salary cap's second apron, which gives Milwaukee more flexibility in the future. After the Bucks' slow start this season, ESPN reported they called teams about trades by the first week of November But most of the moves they wanted to make were impossible "We believe that this gives us a better chance to win this year," Horst said "It happens to also put us under the second apron which gives us some benefits going forward IN THE BEGINNING of the second quarter this past Thursday night against the Los Angeles Lakers, Kuzma defended new Lakers star Luka Doncic Doncic was the Lakers' primary scoring option the kind of matchup Kuzma has happily accepted since coming to Milwaukee limiting the Lakers star to 1-of-6 from the floor as the closest defender Milwaukee extended what was only a four-point lead after the first quarter and won the game comfortably 126-106 "He's a guy that embraces it," Lillard said after the game. "I've heard him on other nights where Giannis might be guarding somebody -- [Pascal] Siakam or whatever the matchup might be -- and [Kuzma] will be running down and court 'Let me take him.' He'll point Giannis to somebody else to kind of like 'We don't want you having to work and chase this dude around 'Plug me in wherever I can help the team.'" Milwaukee's defense has improved since Kuzma's arrival But he has struggled in two areas the Bucks believe he can help the team: in transition and with his lineup versatility Kuzma made the third-most shots (147) in transition in the NBA with a 72% effective field goal percentage Kuzma has recorded a 41% effective field goal mark Rivers said he isn't concerned about the early ups and downs you track people when they first join a team they look great at first," Rivers said after Thursday's game "Then they get caught in that hesitant zone trying to figure out when [to be] aggressive But we will just keep watching tape and it'll work itself out It's part of the reason Lillard has tried to make Kuzma's introduction to the team as smooth as possible One of his messages: Don't feel like you need to wait for us to get out and run A year ago at the trade deadline, Kuzma had an opportunity to be dealt from Washington to the Dallas Mavericks a trade he vetoed when the team asked his opinion and he thought he could be a part of building something with the Wizards But when the opportunity arrived again this year "I figure I was right," Kuzma said with a smirk definite situation here to really impact and be available for this team The Pacers led nearly wire-to-wire and built a 24-point lead by halftime. Indiana got anything it wanted on the offensive end and the Bucks struggled to keep pace Rivers leaned heavily on his starters early and faced backlash for his lack of in-game adjustments as the momentum shifted His continued trust in Kuzma drew the most scrutiny or assist through three quarters despite logging 21 minutes "Doc Rivers really about to sit there and keep watching Kuzma, (Taurean) Prince and (Ryan) Rollins running up and down this court doing absolutely nothing," one fan said "Kuzma just out here getting cardio," a fan chimed in Another fan added: "Doc Rivers really made no adjustments when Indiana went on that big run in the first half Keeping Kuzma and Lopez in the lineup is embarrassing The Bucks are shorthanded without All-Star guard Damian Lillard who remains sidelined but could return for Game 2 Milwaukee’s inability to stay competitive has left fans with little confidence moving forward "Dame may be coming back but Doc Rivers is still the coach and Kyle Kuzma is still healthy so the Bucks are screwed anyways," a fan said Milwaukee rolled with a group in the fourth quarter that included Bobby Portis, Gary Trent Jr., AJ Green and Kevin Porter Jr. alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo Game 2 between the Bucks and Pacers is slated for Tuesday Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application of Barbee Lake Indiana peacefully passed away on March 2 to Leo and Louann Kuzma (Kraker) in Muncie A lifelong resident of Muncie before retiring to his beloved lake home Pete was a graduate of Muncie Northside High School where he excelled in basketball and baseball After high school Pete chose to continue his basketball career and education at Ball State University where he earned his bachelor’s degree and had a successful basketball career together they built a strong and loving family He took great pride in his family and was always present as a coach Pete and Andi’s house and cottage were always open to friends and extended family creating a welcoming space where many felt at home and loved Pete was the owner and operator of McGuff Roofing Inc IN for over 40 years where he fostered a company culture rooted in loyalty and respect A lifelong fan of many sports Pete enjoyed watching the Yankees Although Pete loved sports what made him most happy in life were activities that involved his family and friends like jungle cruises hanging out on his deck listening to the godfather of soul James Brown watching Donald Trump dominate the democrats on Fox News and enjoying a good ole’ Schlitz Beer.  Pete is survived by his beloved wife of 45 years and Bethany (Chase) Chanley of Leesburg; and his beloved grandchildren He is also survived by a very special nephew which he considered his third son Ryan (Marie) Sheridan of Carmel Additionally he is survived by his brothers and John Kuzma; brothers in law Philip Vernon “Slim” Sheridan of North Carolina Danny (Meng) Sheridan of South Carolina; several cherished nieces and nephews Frank (Diane) Alberson Lewis (Anna) Sheridan; several great nieces and nephews; his aunts Jeanette McManus (Marsnik) of Arkansas and Ruth Mahin (Marsnik) of Oregon Arrangements are entrusted to Titus Funeral Home & Cremation Services A Private Family Mass of Christian Burial will be held in Pete’s Memory in April a celebration of life will be held at a later date for friends.  his family kindly requests that donations be made to the North Webster American Legion Post 253 in his honor This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors Heartbreaker. pic.twitter.com/AACnbijojl This was despite power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo playing at his usual excellent level fans have been pointing fingers in all directions trying to find someone to blame for the way things turned out who was acquired from the Washington Wizards at the trade deadline in exchange for fan-favorite Khris Middleton More Bucks: NBA Admits Major Mistake That Cost Bucks Game 5 While Kuzma had a solid regular season with the Bucks Kuzma did not play at this level in the series against the Pacers he failed to record a single stat while playing 22 minutes in Game 1 Kyle Kuzma today:💩0 PTS💩0 REB💩0 AST💩0 STL💩0 BLK💩0/5 FG💩0/2 3PT💩0/2 FT pic.twitter.com/Py44eqD5gU This has fans declaring that the trade for Kuzma was a bust other signs outside of the playoffs may indicate otherwise In a report from Erick Nehm and Sam Amick of The Athletic trading Middleton for Kuzma may have helped seal Milwaukee's future More Bucks: Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo Looking to LeBron James For Inspiration Entering Offseason "Kuzma makes roughly $7 million less than Middleton so swapping them at the deadline helped the Bucks get under the second apron and provided more options in the offseason," Nehm and Amick said "One such tool is a trade exception worth roughly $7.2 million which would allow the Bucks to take in a player with a salary of that size or smaller." "Avoiding the second apron means the team’s future first-round pick isn’t frozen so it can trade either its 2031 or 2032 first-round picks and it will now have access to the $14.1 million non-taxpayer midlevel exception which can be split among multiple players." the Bucks now have more options to build than they did before While this doesn't mean anything immediately fans could be seeing a more complete team next season More Bucks: Bucks May Have Traded Damian Lillard If Not For Brutal Injury: Report Bucks' Doc Rivers Reveals Damian Lillard’s Reaction to Season-Ending Achilles Injury For more news and notes about the Milwaukee Bucks, head on over to Milwaukee Bucks on SI JEREMY HANNA Rumors are rife with what the Milwaukee Bucks may do this offseason. It all centers around Giannis Antetokounmpo and what he decides to do The mid-season acquisition of Kyle Kuzma has not worked and the postseason performances were just woeful the door has opened up financial flexibility and the Bucks have the most freedom to make moves in a long time the Bucks acquired a trade exception of roughly $7.2 million This allows the Bucks to take on a player up to that salary They have three players with player options and many more either hitting free agency or on non-guaranteed contracts Those decisions will impact what they do with the trade exception let's look at a player at each position that the Milwaukee Bucks can try to acquire Since Jrue Holiday was traded for Damian Lillard the Bucks have struggled to find a solid defensive guard who can also provide offense Patrick Beverley was acquired during the 2023-24 season showed brilliant defensive skills but failed to add any offensive game this season Someone of interest should be New Orleans Pelicans point guard Jose Alvarado The 26-year-old brings great defense and hustle while still possessing a smooth shot and facilitating 2.4 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 24 minutes per game Alvarado's shooting splits of .392/.359/.811 are also really strong battling injuries and finally moving Brandon Ingram It is tough to see them being able to push many of the teams in the Western Conference which could open the door for someone like Alvarado to be moved as they look to rebuild Ochai Agbaji had a solid season for the Toronto Raptors 3.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists on shooting splits of .498/.399/.708 The Raptors showed their quality at times this season but it was clear they were trying to tank with head coach Darko Rajakovic pulling starters in close games This may make it difficult for the Milwaukee Bucks to trade for Agbaji as the Raptors will clearly be hoping to make the playoffs in 2025-26 The 6-foot-5 wing can be a nice scorer off the bench for Milwaukee. Gary Trent Jr. was great this year, and the Bucks will hope to keep him. If he gets offered more money elsewhere then Agbaji could be someone they look towards and the Raptors have a lot of money tied up in Scottie Barnes This could make Agbaji expendable; he would be a nice fit off the bench in Wisconsin but Saddiq Bey has shown really good qualities as a scorer at all three levels He missed this season with an ACL tear back in March of 2024 the Washington Wizards still signed him to a three-year which saw him return to the court with their G-League team in March of this year 6.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists on shooting splits of .416/.316/.837 Washington is very much in rebuild mode as it looks to build a young core that could be bolstered by the No Milwaukee would have to be careful with Bey after his injury and we know the Bucks' luck with injuries has not been good It may be a move to look at once Bey starts finding his footing after the injury The Miami Heat have had their most tumultuous season in a long time Jimmy Butler was the constant story throughout and those around the team have said the saga did impact their performance They have not been afraid to make moves in the past but now they are in a tough spot as to where their roster is following their one-sided series with the Cleveland Cavaliers Haywood Highsmith has grown into one of those "Heat culture" type players 3.4 rebounds and 1.5 assists on shooting splits of .458/.382/.721 The 6-foot-7 wing also provides a big body defensively with a defensive rating of 113.6 this season but Taurean Prince's departure and Kuzma's disappointing play can open the door for a reliable player like Highsmith Another target to be wary of is Mark Williams in the headlines at the trade deadline following his trade to the Los Angeles Lakers being rescinded due to injury concerns Milwaukee has had awful luck with injuries and that in itself might put them off the idea of adding Williams Jericho Sims and Tyler Smith is full of athleticism and versatility that the Milwaukee Bucks need Williams has played just 106 games and is regularly on the injury report His former teammate Nick Richards was acquired by the Phoenix Suns at the trade deadline and earns just $5 million A terrible season for the Suns has questioned the future of Kevin Durant and Devin Booker Richards could be a move Milwaukee pivots towards There are plenty of players available for under $7.2 million that the Bucks can try to trade for but the playoffs showed the Milwaukee Bucks need more depth and guys who can contribute These five are just a few that they should be considering Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks news and analysis The mid-season acquisition of Kyle Kuzma has not worked The 6-foot-5 wing can be a nice scorer off the bench for Milwaukee. Gary Trent Jr. was great this year, and the Bucks will hope to keep him. If he gets offered more money elsewhere Milwaukee acquired a tool in their midseason trade While the team did make a last-minute comeback effort the game was pretty much over at that point Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo was special in Game 1 But the problem was that Antetokounmpo was really the only player on Milwaukee who showed up The Bucks couldn't muster much of anything on the offensive end of the floor Milwaukee was especially hurt by the poor performance of forward Kyle Kuzma in the game More Bucks news: Bucks' Kyle Kuzma Makes Unfortunate NBA History in Game 1 vs Pacers Kuzma didn't score a single point in the game and his performance caused all sorts of issues The veteran shot 0-of-5 from the field (0-of-2 shooting from distance) and 0-of-2 shooting from the free throw line Bucks head coach Doc Rivers reacted to this performance saying that he didn't get very many shot attempts "It's hard to score when you don't touch the ball," Bucks coach Doc Rivers said And we gotta make sure we keep him involved." The play of Kuzma was historically bad, and it hurt the Bucks in Game 1. Kuzma also seemed to suffer an injury during the first quarter of the game potentially impacting his production throughout the contest More Bucks news: Bucks' Kyle Kuzma Suffered Apparent Injury in Game 1 The Bucks didn't lose the game only because of Kuzma Milwaukee is going to need a much better team effort in Game 2 if they want to even this playoff series up The hope is that Kuzma learns from his mistakes in Game 1 to better help the team win They are going to need him throughout the remainder of the series if they want to advance More Bucks: Nuggets’ Michael Malone Firing Has Instant Impact on Doc Rivers’ Bucks Future Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo Raises Eyebrows with Game 2 Comments For more news and notes on the Milwaukee Bucks, visit Milwaukee Bucks on SI MATT LEVINE Adding him to a roster with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard was supposed to make Milwaukee's offense much more dangerous Lillard is hurt and will miss the start of the first-round playoff series with the Indiana Pacers That means that Kuzma has moved up in the pecking order into the second scoring option on the team The issue with that is that Kuzma has not been good The net rating with him on the court is one of the worst in the league The Bucks were 12 points per 100 possessions worse with him on the floor Read more: Top Storylines For Bucks Ahead of Playoff Matchup vs Pacers Kuzma's poor defense has not been outweighed by his scoring his inefficient shooting is something that Milwaukee is very concerned about If Kuzma can't turn things around early in this series Indiana is coming in and playing some of the best basketball in the league They finished 15-4 in their final 19 games of the season Antetokounmpo needs someone else in the starting lineup to take some pressure off him The Pacers will be laser-focused on stopping Antetokounmpo so he needs someone else to be able to hit shots More Bucks news: Bucks' Bobby Portis Addresses Challenges Faced This Season Before Playoff Push Kuzma shot just 33 percent from beyond the 3-point arc after the trade His overall shooting statistics improved greatly at the end of the season they are in the unique position of relying on Kuzma to be the second-best player on the team That's a position the Pacers would love them to be in for the entire series More Milwaukee Bucks news: Bucks News: Giannis Antetokounmpo's Trade Future Could Hinge on Playoff Success Experts in Unanimous Agreement on Outcome of Bucks-Pacers Series For more news and notes on the Milwaukee Bucks, visit Milwaukee Bucks on SI. RYAN STANO the Milwaukee Bucks played Game 1 of their series against the Indiana Pacers (in Indianapolis) Kyle Kuzma finished the loss with 0 points 0 steals and 0 blocks while shooting 0/5 from the field in 22 minutes of playing time Kyle Kuzma in Saturday's loss: pic.twitter.com/m7MehL59ac Many people reacted to his performance on social media Kendrick Perkins: "Can somebody tell Kuzma that the Playoffs has started Can somebody tell Kuzma that the Playoffs has started Josh Eberley 🇨🇦: "Kyle Kuzma on pace to set a playoff record!The most missed shots by a player to not register a point or assist in 20+ minutes of a playoff game!Maurice Lucas’ four missed looks stood for almost 40 years." Kyle Kuzma on pace to set a playoff record!The most missed shots by a player to not register a point, rebound, or assist in 20+ minutes of a playoff game!Maurice Lucas’ four missed looks stood for almost 40 years. pic.twitter.com/tpMpWpquNa @StatMamba: "Kyle Kuzma in his Bucks playoff debut:0 PTS0 REB0 AST0 STL0 BLK22 MINThe 2nd most minutes played by a Bucks player without recording a stat (Tony Snell 28)." Kyle Kuzma in his Bucks playoff debut:0 PTS0 REB0 AST0 STL0 BLK22 MINThe 2nd most minutes played by a Bucks player without recording a stat (Tony Snell 28). pic.twitter.com/bPrlIPjDI1 get some fresh air or go watch Sinners Staying in your crib watching Kyle Kuzma play basketball is unhealthy" get some fresh air or go watch Sinners Staying in your crib watching Kyle Kuzma play basketball is unhealthy The second time this season a player has recorded 0 PTS/REB/AST/STL/BLK in = or > 20 mins played.He joins this regular season fraternity from the last decade (left) and also those who have accomplished it in the playoffs (right) Kyle Kuzma has done it! The second time this season a player has recorded 0 PTS/REB/AST/STL/BLK in = or > 20 mins played.He joins this regular season fraternity from the last decade (left) and also those who have accomplished it in the playoffs (right), the first in a decade! pic.twitter.com/z5Jgl5LVYT @WizardsMuse1: "Kyle Kuzma In The First Half:0 Points0 Rebounds0 Assists0 Stocks0/3 FG0/2 3P2 Fouls-1714 MinutesGetting Cooked DefensivelyBucks Trail Pacers 67-43"Winning Basketball"" Kyle Kuzma In The First Half:0 Points0 Rebounds0 Assists0 Stocks0/3 FG0/2 3P2 Fouls-1714 MinutesGetting Cooked DefensivelyBucks Trail Pacers 67-43"Winning Basketball" 🔥🔥 https://t.co/lIR2MbSzVQ pic.twitter.com/GXvV4BAU6u @LakersLead: "Reminder that LeBron and AD won a Championship with Kuzma as their third option" Reminder that LeBron and AD won a Championship with Kuzma as their third option pic.twitter.com/OWhKrO07lK @PlayoffDeuce: "Kyle Kuzma and Taurean Prince played a combined for 41 minutes tonight.They combined for 0 points" Kyle Kuzma and Taurean Prince played a combined for 41 minutes tonight.They combined for 0 points pic.twitter.com/vMO7tBTV60 @BetMGM: "If you’re reading this you have the same stat line as Kyle Kuzma today" If you’re reading this you have the same stat line as Kyle Kuzma today pic.twitter.com/L2TxawWk9V Kuzma is in his first season playing for the Bucks. The 2020 NBA Champion has also spent time with the Washington Wizards and Los Angeles Lakers. Apr 3, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Kyle Kuzma (18) sets up to shoot the ball against the Philadelphia 76ers in the second quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images / Kyle Ross-Imagn ImagesGame 2 of the series will be on Tuesday night. In 22 minutes of action, Kuzma failed to post a single statistic, racking up zeroes across the board in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks. The only marks on Kuzma's ledger were the two fouls he picked up. It's just the sixth time a player has failed to record a single statistic in a playoff game, according to ESPN's Tim Bontemps NBA fans were not kind in their reactions to his less-than-stellar game as they turned the Bucks forward into a new meme Fans compared Kuzma to former NBA player Tony Snell who is in the infamous meme for zeroes down the board Kyle Kuzma just re created the Tony Snell meme 😭 pic.twitter.com/f7Y0fl586X PLAYOFF KYLE KUZMA 🔥Tony Snell can rest now pic.twitter.com/4YErC79zNa kyle kuzma pic.twitter.com/dvVsTP6LQb It was even pointed out that Kuzma scored as many points in Game 1 as Washington Wizards forward Khris Middleton whom he was traded for at the trade deadline Fun fact: Khris Middleton and Kyle Kuzma had the same number of PTS, REB, AST, STL and BLK for the Bucks in Game 1. pic.twitter.com/P8jz8LGWU1 Unsurprisingly, Bucks coach Doc Rivers defended Kuzma while speaking to reporters after the game "It's hard to score when you don't touch the ball," Rivers said but we gotta involve him and we gotta make sure we keep him involved." Kuzma's quiet game gained even more attention given that he was one of the four starters who combined to score just 14 points alongside superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo The Bucks will have to hope they get a better performance out of Kuzma and their other starters in Game 2 They dropped Game 1 in their series against the Indiana Pacers The Bucks will now look to tie the series on Tuesday and they'll look for an even better one by the time Game 2 rolls around The only one who stepped up for Milwaukee through the 48 minutes was their superstar forward Kuzma's Game 1 performance was atrocious he did not record a single stat and went 0-for-5 from the field Kuzma did not do himself or his team any favors especially with this old tweet that resurfaced after his Game 1 performance Kyle Kuzma after the Bucks get eliminated from the Playoffs pic.twitter.com/a4Az3U0aCP Fans didn’t hold back when it came to Kuzma’s Game 1 performance—and it’s hard to blame them With the Bucks in need of a reliable second option behind Giannis Antetokounmpo Kuzma came up short in a big way on the road especially NBA circles on X (formerly Twitter) One common jab is suggesting that the player should be suiting up in a lesser league Kuzma wasn’t the only starter who struggled Taurean Prince also had a forgettable outing adding just two rebounds and three assists highlighting how ineffective he was during his time on the floor For Milwaukee to bounce back in this series they’ll need more from their supporting cast—especially from their starting forwards The potential return of Damian Lillard in Game 2 will do wonders for the Bucks but his play alone can't be relied on heavily The others must step up if they want to win the series and make a deep playoff run Milwaukee’s supporting cast will have multiple opportunities to respond and make their presence felt as the series unfolds Whether they rise to the occasion remains to be seen More Bucks: Giannis Antetokounmpo Opens Up About Bucks Mindset After Rough Game 1 Brewers Make Wild Prediction For Bucks vs Pacers Series Bucks' Damian Lillard Given Technical Foul Despite Not Playing For more news and notes on the Milwaukee Bucks, head on over to Milwaukee Bucks on SI. In a hooded pullover with her fiancé, Bucks forward Kyle Kuzma on the front, supermodel Winnie Harlow was back Harlow shared several videos from the game with her 10 million followers The look was completed with layered necklaces Harlow's apparently "obsessed" with the Bucks Grand Dancers — who wouldn't be You can hear her cheering for them afterward with one of the dancers blowing Harlow a kiss as she walked off the court And, of course, "Buckyonce" made another appearance (that's her nickname for Bango) to Joseph Levi McCann and Dora Veronica Stoney who both emigrated from Scotland in the late 1920s and their love story led them to marry at St with her older sister Sarah Gertrude and younger brother Jack where Kay attended both grade school and high school she continued her education at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh she soon realized that her true passion was in teaching and she made the decision to focus her studies on education a path that would define her life’s work It was at Duquesne that Kay met Henry (Hank) Kuzma the basketball coach at the College of Steubenville Kay transferred to the College of Steubenville and graduated in 1955 they moved numerous times due to Hank’s coaching career with Kay supporting her husband while establishing roots in various communities Her teaching career spanned nearly 40 years during which she taught elementary school students in a variety of locations Kay’s love of teaching remained constant and she was a beloved teacher wherever she went Kay received many awards and accolades over the years for her dedication to her students but she found her greatest joy in the enduring relationships she built with her former students She would often reminisce fondly about the impact her work had on the children she taught Kay’s commitment to her faith and values was another central aspect of her life She was an active member of the pro-life movement serving on the boards of Upper Ohio Right to Life and Human Life as well as being involved with the Carriage House She and Hank were also very involved with the TOR Friars and Franciscan University which they considered a tremendous blessing and an important part of their lives was the foundation of her strength and resilience and she made it a priority to instill these same values in her children and grandchildren Kay found immense joy in spending time with her growing family She cherished every moment spent with her children She loved to travel to visit them and often expressed how much joy it brought her to share life’s special moments with them Kay’s presence was always a source of love whose unwavering support and caring nature touched all who knew her Kay is survived by her four children: Hank (wife Roberta) She is also survived by fourteen grandchildren all of whom were a constant source of joy and pride in her life Kay was preceded in death by her beloved husband She will now be reunited with Hank and laid to rest together at Mount Calvary Cemetery in Steubenville The family would like to express their deepest gratitude to all who supported and loved Kay throughout her life and her steadfast commitment to making the world a better place through her actions and the relationships she built along the way Kay’s legacy will live on through the countless lives she touched and she will be dearly missed by all who knew her Visitation will be held Friday from 3-6 pm at the Mosti Funeral Home A funeral liturgy with Mass will be celebrated Saturday 10 am at Holy Family Catholic Church Charitable donations in lieu of flowers may be made to the Franciscan University of Steubenville under “Catherine Kuzma” by calling 740-283-6777 or online at https://encounter.franciscan.edu/portal/catherinekuzma or to AIM Women’s Center by calling 740-283-3636 or online at https://aimwomenscenter.com/ Condolences may be offered at, mostifuneralhome.com When he signed a 4-year, $102 million contract with the Washington Wizards in 2023, Kyle Kuzma was given a trade kicker – and a sizable one that would be worth $7.5 million He waived $6.5 million of it upon being moved to the Milwaukee Bucks in the Khris Middleton trade “I haven’t that many wins, and that’s what it’s all about with me,” Kuzma told the Journal Sentinel about his decision to forgo the bonus “I’ve been a winner my whole life and I just want to feel that feeling as much as possible and obviously when you have a team with big salary guys and a bunch of people making a lot of money Read the full story: How Kyle Kuzma fits alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard and the Bucks. along with Kuzma’s overall lower salary than Middleton’s allowed the Bucks to send out cash to San Antonio ($4.13 million) New York ($2 million) and Washington ($1 million) in the four-team deal that also landed the Bucks Jericho Sims and two second-round draft picks The team also saved some money in trading MarJon Beauchamp for Kevin Porter Jr a league source familiar with the Bucks’ cap situation said they are about $3.8 million under the second apron for this season – more than enough space to add 15th player for the stretch run if needed Bucks general manager Jon Horst insisted there was no mandate from ownership to get under the second apron but rather putting the team in position to win a championship in June “We believe that this gives us a better chance to win this year,” he said the team has even greater financial and trade flexibility for the summer Though the club already is over the salary cap for next year with just 10 players under contract (including player options) it has tens of millions of dollars to work with under the luxury tax and apron lines The team now can also trade and/or swap its 2031 and 2032 first-round draft picks along with the second-round picks acquired at the deadline “All of a sudden your tool chest starts to build back up,” Horst said “And we have Dame (Lillard) under contract we have Giannis (Antetokounmpo) under contract so there’s a lot of ways to take this group a known quantity – a playoff security blanket of sorts – for the relative unknown of how a role player will fit in handles playoff defenses round by round is to be determined Are they better positioned now to advance in the postseason “I think we’ll find that out,” Bucks coach Doc Rivers said after the trades We gotta see ’em on the floor and I can give you all those answers I’m not in the broadcast business where I’ll say Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton reacts to a play against the Portland Trail Blazers during the first half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma goes up for a dunk during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Charlotte Hornets in Charlotte The Milwaukee Bucks are trading NBA champion and Olympic gold medalist Khris Middleton to the Washington Wizards and getting Kyle Kuzma back in the deal a person with knowledge of the agreement told The Associated Press on Wednesday Johnson goes from the Bucks to the Wizards and Patrick Baldwin goes from the Wizards to the Bucks along with a future pick swap and some second-round draft capital who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the trade had yet to receive league approval leaves the Bucks after spending all but one of his 13 NBA seasons in Milwaukee The three-time All-Star has been limited to 23 games this season but was shooting a career-best 51% in those appearances Middleton helped the Bucks win the NBA title in 2021 helped the United States win gold at the Tokyo Games later that year and was someone Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo has raved about for years “It’s definitely a plus having Khris back,” Antetokounmpo said earlier this season when Middleton was available again following ankle issues after four years with the Los Angeles Lakers and parts of four years with the Wizards The 29-year-old has averaged 17.2 points per game for his career The move gives the Bucks some financial flexibility in that it gets them below the second apron — meaning some other trade options may be available to them before the deadline Being over the second apron had limited the moves the Bucks could make as they tried to upgrade an aging roster The Bucks (26-22) are in fifth place in the Eastern Conference after exiting in the first round of the playoffs each of the last two seasons 22 jersey could hang from the Fiserv Forum rafters at some point Middleton owns the Bucks franchise record for career 3-pointers with 1,382 He had 12,586 points with Milwaukee to rank as the franchise’s third-leading scorer behind Antetokounmpo and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar He ranks second in team history in games played (735) and minutes played (23,039) — behind Antetokounmpo — and third in assists (2,990) 6.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game during the 2021 NBA Finals as the Bucks beat Phoenix in six games 6.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists in 80 career playoff games with Milwaukee He earned All-Star Game selections in 2019 But injuries limited him over the last few seasons He was unavailable for the Bucks’ seven-game loss to Boston in the 2022 Eastern Conference semifinals and played in just 33 games in 2022-23 and 55 in 2023-24 Middleton didn’t make his 2024-25 debut until Dec 6 as he recovered from offseason surgery to each of his ankles He went scoreless in two games in late January Kuzma has dealt with his own issues this season 28.1% on 3-point attempts and 60.2% on free throws — all career lows He scored 31 points and 22 points in his last two games The Bucks selected Johnson with the 23rd overall pick in the 2024 draft The 20-year-old guard averaged 2.9 points in seven games with Milwaukee who went to high school in the Milwaukee area and played his lone college season at Milwaukee was the 28th overall pick in the 2022 draft The 22-year-old forward averaged 2.1 points and 4.6 minutes in 22 games this season AP Sports Writer Steve Megargee in Milwaukee contributed to this report Supermodel Winnie Harlow is officially in on "Bucks in 6." Though, after Milwaukee's disastrous April 27 loss to the Indiana Pacers in Game 4 of their first-round playoff series "Bucks in 7" will have to do — fingers crossed The sentiment dates to a brash proclamation, err, prophecy made by former Bucks guard Brandon Jennings more than a decade ago It's since become arguably the most popular tagline among fans April 25's matchup marked Game 3 of the series, the first at Fiserv Forum. The Pacers won the first two games in Indiana Harlow sported a custom By Kelly Daley matching set with Kuzma on the front of it. The designer made postseason fits for many of the Bucks' partners Harlow, who sat courtside during the game, posed for photos on the court with her deep green Hermès Kelly and oversized shades. She scored a picture with Bango, or "Buckyonce" as she's nicknamed the beloved mascot including with her future mother-in-law and fellow Bucks' significant others The Bucks head to Indiana, with elimination on the line, for Game 5 on April 29 LOS ANGELES — As Milwaukee Bucks guard Gary Trent Jr dribbled up the court early in the fourth quarter he drew plenty of attention from the Los Angeles Lakers defense With six 3-pointers and 23 points through three quarters on Thursday night Trent had provided plenty of reason to worry about what he might do next Trent whipped a pass to Kyle Kuzma in the left corner Kuzma took one dribble with his right hand and spun to the baseline shaking free for a thunderous right-handed slam “I think I’m feeling more good health-wise,” Kuzma said of his recovery from a left ankle sprain on March 5 “I’ve been playing on one leg for like the last three weeks And then felt much better in Golden State and then felt the best I’ve felt since before that Dallas game where I sprained it I haven’t dunked like that all season (with the Bucks) The dunk was one of two buckets Kuzma dropped in during the fourth quarter that helped push him to 20 points in the Bucks’ 118-89 win over the Lakers Luka Dončić and much of their main rotation Damian Lillard missed Thursday’s game with a right calf strain as well but the Bucks (39-30) took care of business with Kuzma four assists) all reaching or crossing the 20-point threshold in the victory After just one 20-point game in his first 18 with Milwaukee Kuzma has scored 20 points in back-to-back games helping lead the team to a win that the Bucks desperately needed after losing five of their previous seven games “He’s just more comfortable,” Bucks coach Doc Rivers said I think we ran one play for him the entire game 6.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 33.1 minutes per game but the 29-year-old forward is shooting only 43.4 percent from the field and 29.3 percent from 3 Each would be the lowest shooting percentages of his career — except for the start of this season with the Washington Wizards where both percentages (42 percent from the field While there is still belief in Kuzma throughout the Bucks organization the transition has not been easy for him as he has tried to find his own space alongside two superstars in Antetokounmpo and Lillard tried to figure out how to impact games against the best defenses and also play through sprains to both ankles In the six games between the second ankle sprain and the start of this road trip 5.2 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game on 36.5 percent shooting from the field and 21.7 percent from 3 following a 14-point outing in the Bucks’ 112-100 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on March 9 “I try to make the right reads and the right passes I definitely feel that I could be a little bit more aggressive or being a little bit more of an initiator I think I’ve been getting live reps at that for the past two years with no “Sometimes I find myself a little bit in the corner which is naturally going to happen and a lot of times with my role or my placement is on this team I think we can find ways to get me more active I think that’s something that we talk about anyways Kuzma’s usage rate has dropped from 25.9 percent with the Wizards to 19.1 percent with the Bucks Kuzma’s usage rate ballooned to 29.4 percent and it hasn’t been this low since his last season with the Lakers (2020-21) when it was only 18.9 percent Having the ball in his hands less has also changed the way he is asked to score and create Kuzma was finishing 19.7 percent of his possessions as a pick-and-roll ballhandler and 20 percent as a spot-up player Those numbers have changed significantly with the Bucks as Kuzma has finished 12.1 percent of his possessions as a pick-and-roll ballhandler and 28.1 percent as a spot-up player The change in role was expected as there isn’t as much opportunity with the ball playing next to Antetokounmpo and Lillard especially as he goes through the worst catch-and-shoot 3-point season of his career teams have gotten increasingly aggressive in daring the career 33.3 percent 3-point shooter to try to hurt them from deep Lillard made it clear that Kuzma should not be living off a heavy diet of catch-and-shoot 3s the Bucks should be finding ways for him to play to his strengths “We gotta find ways to put him in position to do what he does well,” Lillard said He’s a good playmaker when he’s doing that It’s hard to do that when we’re taking the ball out the net because he’s a guy we want to advance the ball to and let him attack downhill “You want to give him those opportunities to be that guy and be a playmaker but he’s not a guy that we want to use him that’s not what we want to put him in a position to be doing.” Thursday’s game was a step in the right direction for Kuzma and the Bucks as 12 of his 16 shots came inside the 3-point line as opposed to Tuesday in San Francisco when 13 of Kuzma’s 16 attempts came from behind the line It’s tough to say how much those reps mean without Lillard on the floor Kuzma’s versatility has been crucial for the Bucks as Antetokounmpo missed games before the All-Star break Bobby Portis received a 25-game suspension and Jericho Sims went down with a regular season-ending injury that hasn’t helped the team or Kuzma get a better idea of how he will fit come playoff time “I think we’re screwing him up more right now it looked like he was going to start getting his groove and now just trying to put him at different positions … But he’s been great for our team overall.” The Bucks have 13 games left in the regular season one game behind the Indiana Pacers in fourth and a half-game up on the Pistons in sixth The Bucks still need to win games to secure home-court advantage in the first round they need to figure out how to maximize Kuzma’s contributions “He’s so versatile on defense and offense for us that he’s going to be a very very valuable player moving forward,” Rivers said the Bucks have three weeks to figure out how their biggest trade deadline acquisition fits in their roster and how to get him comfortable performing his role alongside their two All-Stars in the biggest moments of the biggest games Sign up to get The Bounce the essential NBA newsletter from Zach Harper and The Athletic staff (Photo of Kyle Kuzma: Katelyn Mulcahy / Getty Images) Trading for Jrue Holiday and Damian Lillard in the past few years were attempts to win a championship the Bucks went ahead and traded for Kyle Kuzma at the trade deadline Kuzma was seen as someone who could help the team offensively Kuzma was one of the forwards who was talked about a lot around the deadline Multiple teams were thinking about trading for him Read more: Giannis Antetokounmpo Injury Status for Bucks vs Pelicans the trade has not worked out as well as they were hoping for Kuzma's value to this team has not been good enough since he was brought to Milwaukee the trade has been somewhat of a disaster for Milwaukee The stats since the bringing Kuzma into the fold are not flattering for him Since the All-Star break, the Bucks are significantly better when Kyle Kuzma is not on the court:On: 112.2 OffRtg (23rd), 114.1 DefRtg (17th), -1.9 NetRtg (22nd)Off: 119.0 OffRtg (7th), 105.2 DefRtg (1st), +13.8 NetRtg (1st)So far, a disastrous deadline trade for Milwaukee. pic.twitter.com/2fPBg9NpSJ The Bucks have clearly been better with Kuzma on the bench than they have been with him on the court He has been adding negative value to the team since February Kuzma's advanced stats have shown that this trade has been nothing but a disaster for the Bucks They would have been better off keeping Middleton Middleton still would have helped them when it comes to leadership He was also one of the most liked guys in the locker room so that would have helped with the vibes late in the season More Bucks news: Bucks' Bobby Portis Offers Brutally Honest Take on Returning From 25 Game Suspension The Bucks are hoping that Kuzma is going to be better than he has been in the regular season once the playoffs roll around They're going to need him to be better if they expect to make a deep run in the playoffs Milwaukee is hoping that they can get themselves in a position to play better in the playoffs than they did last year Kuzma must put forth a better effort for that to happen More Milwaukee Bucks news: NBA Flexes Bucks Season Finale Against Pistons Bucks Guard Says Bobby Portis is Responsible for Comeback Win Bobby Portis will suit up in a game for the Milwaukee Bucks for the first time in nearly two months Coincidentally, Portis last played on Feb. 12 in a 103-101 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Bucks’ opponent on Tuesday, in the team’s last game before the All-Star break. On Feb. 20, before Milwaukee returned to action after the break, the NBA suspended Portis for 25 games for testing positive for Tramadol an opioid on the NBA’s list of banned substances the perennial Sixth Man of the Year candidate has only been able to play in scrimmages and practices with his teammates so Bucks head coach Doc Rivers knows Portis is going to bring a lot of pent-up energy to Tuesday’s proceedings “Bobby’s going to foul out in like three minutes in the first game back,” Rivers joked when asked about Portis’ return to action following the win over the Miami Heat on Saturday If you watched our low-minute pick-up games they are the most intense pick-up games you’ve ever seen “It was full throttle today and I was like that guy needs to play in an NBA game soon.’ So let’s play some Ones for an in-depth look at the micro and macro trends that have affected the Bucks in the last week as well as what lies ahead in the final week of the regular season As the Bucks successfully closed out both games of their weekend back-to-back in Miami and New Orleans they relied upon Brook Lopez to screen and then roll to the rim in the middle of the floor a throwback to the first nine seasons of his NBA career with the Brooklyn Nets While that has often meant screening for Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kevin Porter Jr. the Bucks also used Lopez in other screen-and-roll actions in both games That included putting Lopez into actions with 3-point sharpshooter AJ Green there is no denying the reputation Green has developed as a 3-point shooter and the attention he draws from defenses Teams go out of their way to make sure Green does not get clean looks so the Bucks have started to make more of an effort to make teams pay for overplaying their 25-year-old 3-point threat Look at how the Heat defended Green on this play late in Saturday’s game: Green has recorded 100 assists this season after recording only 33 last season His minutes increased from 614 last season to 1,573 this season and his assist percentage rose from 5.7 percent to 8.5 percent this season Rivers explained that he believed Green has been able to improve in that regard this season for two reasons “He’s really good with the ball coming off screens,” Rivers said so it’s not like it’s something he hasn’t done before.” “His timing is getting better,” Rivers said they kind of give the answer away half the time We get on AJ a lot when he’s a weakside action to act like the action is not coming to you ‘The next action is for me.’ I think he’s getting better at that.” While Green did not close against the Pelicans on Sunday as he did against the Heat on Saturday he still showed his passing acumen at the start of the fourth quarter Green did not give away the action for him and forced a switch on the dribble handoff with Kyle Kuzma Green kept moving and forced more attention from help defenders by “ghosting” a screen for Ryan Rollins and slipping out to the 3-point line With two defenders chasing him to contest the shot Green jumped in the air as though he was going to shoot and then dished it off to Gary Trent Jr. Green doesn’t have to be a playmaker for the Bucks but if he can leverage the threat of his 3-point shooting to occasionally make a play for others the Bucks will be more dangerous in the postseason Bucks general manager Jon Horst acquired three new players Before tearing a ligament in his left thumb Jericho Sims made an impact as a high-energy big man for the Bucks off the bench And while he has had some ups and downs during his time in Milwaukee has played some of the best basketball of his career and been a major boost recently with Damian Lillard on the sidelines Success has been more fleeting for Kyle Kuzma the NBA champion and biggest name added at the deadline Kuzma has started 28 games in Milwaukee and averaged 14.4 points 6.0 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 33.2 minutes per game Outside of the start of this season with the Washington Wizards Kuzma’s effective field goal percentage of 49.6 percent with the Bucks is the worst of his career His 30.1 percent accuracy from 3 is also the worst other than the start of this season with the Wizards He’s made only 25 percent of his corner 3 attempts the 29-year-old forward’s turnover percentage of 15 percent is the highest of his career “He’s playing with guys that shoot a lot,” said Rivers when asked why Kuzma has not yet been able to get comfortable in Milwaukee so he’s trying to find his way and he will “We gotta get him to see his shot profile with this team And once we do that and he gets comfortable with it The Bucks have four regular-season games left so Kuzma doesn’t have a ton of time to get comfortable He needs to be ready for the crucible of postseason basketball in less than two weeks so the Bucks need to find a place for him to excel when asked what he sees as Kuzma’s shot profile “A guy that can take people off the dribble in dribble handoff actions we’re not throwing as many advance passes as we were earlier He posts up guys that are smaller than him The task of getting Kuzma the shots that they want him to get will only become more difficult with the return of Portis on Tuesday keeping Kuzma comfortable will become even tougher has been insistent that he will do what the team needs him to do to fit in but while Kuzma has eaten minutes and made an impact at times on defense he just hasn’t been able to find the level of success the Bucks hoped for when they acquired him at the trade deadline The Bucks (44-34) are fifth in the Eastern Conference standings They have clinched a playoff spot for the ninth consecutive season but still have some work to do with seeding The Bucks can still end the season anywhere between fourth and sixth in the East It’s the final week of the NBA regular season and there is still so much at stake 19 of the 20 postseason seeds have yet to be clinched Check out all of the seeding possibilities entering the week ahead ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/6PjrCowICj — NBA Communications (@NBAPR) April 7, 2025 However, the probability of reaching the fourth seed is low With a three-game lead over Milwaukee in the standings the Indiana Pacers’ magic number to clinch the fourth seed is two The Pacers and Bucks have four games remaining on their schedules so the Pacers need any combination of two of their own wins or Bucks losses to take the fourth seed The possibilities are far more interesting (and confusing) when examining the battle for the fifth seed between the Pistons and the Bucks With the Pistons’ 127-117 loss to the Sacramento Kings on Monday night the Bucks now have a 1 1/2-game lead over the Pistons (43-36) the battle for the East’s fifth spot is not over because the Pistons and Bucks play their final two games against each other The Bucks’ magic number is three to take the fifth spot over the Pistons if Milwaukee wins on Tuesday against the Timberwolves and Thursday against the Pelicans and the Pistons lose to the Knicks on Thursday the Bucks would clinch the fifth spot before heading to Detroit for their first of two games against the Pistons But if any of those three outcomes — Bucks-Wolves Pistons-Knicks — go the opposite direction the Bucks would need to win at least one game over the Pistons For the Bucks to end the season tied with the Pistons would require Detroit to win both games against Milwaukee the NBA would need to work through the tiebreakers to determine who would take the fifth spot in the East the Pistons’ two wins would tie the head-to-head record and division record Since neither team won the Central Division the Pistons’ two wins over the Bucks would make Detroit’s conference record one game better than Milwaukee and give the Pistons the fifth spot in the Eastern Conference Sign up to get The Bounce (Photo of Bobby Portis: David Sherman / NBAE via Getty Images) The 2025 NFL Draft is only a few days away which leads Steelers Nation into a nail-biting frenzy as to which players the team will select throughout the three-day event I’ve been agonizing over the last few months as to what the team needs are versus the players they’d like to add This mock draft has the same rules applied to it as my first a few days ago I attempt to keep the mock draft as realistic as I can within an established set of rules I only allow myself to take a player that’s consistently available I allowed a little leeway with this draft based on a few biases I have toward positions of need versus the best player available remember this is an entertaining exercise that will likely miss the mark No onward to my predictions for the Pittsburgh Steelers 2025 NFL Draft Could it be a quarterback? That’s what a lot of the highest rated casinos believe the Steelers will pick but I think it’s a smokescreen for their true plans This year’s quarterback class is thought of as a down year with Miami’s Cam Ward in his own tier and likely being picked first overall by the Tennessee Titans Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders is believed to be the next-best passer with Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart also invited to the green room on Thursday night hoping for his name to be announced in the first round as well If anyone’s learned their lesson from taking Kenny Pickett in the same spot in 2022 their next franchise quarterback will likely come from the NFL Draft but this isn’t the year to take a flyer on one Defensive line and running back are the other glaring needs for Pittsburgh Both positions are considered to be deep this year but the issue is that the Steelers won’t have another selection until the third round Taking a running back in the first round feels rich for a team turning to poverty but there’s no mistaking the swing – and miss – with a quarterback would be dire as they need help in other areas While I’ve run drafts where the Steelers can land Michigan’s Kenneth Grant or Oregon’s Derrick Harmon I’m led to the best available player on the board who can play on day one and potentially be a star: Omarion Hampton Should Hampton slip by by the Denver Broncos at pick 20 I feel he’s the best bet for Pittsburgh long-term Hampton would not only replace but upgrade Najee Harris who signed with the Chargers this offseason I’d love to trade back and gain an extra pick to snag one of these plays in round two because Hampton can be a three-down back who helps support whoever the quarterback is and offers more as a pass blocker or catcher than Harris did The Steelers have Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell two seasoned NFL veterans to split carries in the backfield but both are tied to the team one one-year deals at best: and each has health and ball security issues that makes them far from reliable for a 17-game season Hampton amassed 3,565 rushing yards with 36 rushing touchdowns and added 635 receiving yards with 4 touchdowns on 38 receptions as Hampton has no credited fumbles to his name over his last three seasons with the Tarheels He feels like the best bet to step in and contribute on the field right away I still believe the quarterbacks the Steelers are looking at will be around with pick 123 in the fourth round I now have my eyes set on an interior defensive lineman which becomes a position of need after running back is settled What the Steelers don’t have is a lot of depth on a line that got gashed by Derrick Henry They must plan on facing Henry up to three times this year but they also need to begin planning for life after Cameron Heyward Heyward isn’t going anywhere just yet With a draft deep with defensive linemen one will fall down to 83 to the Steelers I suspect that at least three or four quarterbacks are taken and that the remaining passers will be available 40 picks from now it’s unlikely a third round quarterback will be a Week 1 starter in Pittsburgh anyway My reasoning for passing on d-line in the first round pick is that player won’t see the field right away the next available lineman may be lucky to play half of the defensive snaps That will help groom Heyward’s successor for future seasons as they ease into more playing time a nice fit to play inside in the Steelers 3-4 scheme Alexander could fit anywhere along the defensive front He fits the Steelers long-standing tradition of finding players in smaller conferences such as the MAC and is a five-year collegiate player with a whopping 58 games played That also means he’s an older player getting his start in the NFL which I believe will cause him to drop into the Steelers lap at 83 Let other teams make that mistake: a mature adult is precisely what this defense needs as they snag one of the standouts from the Senior Bowl By this point Jaxson Dart and Jalen Milroe should be long gone. That’s why I went with Alexander in round three, with the hopes of cashing in on any number of passers still around in round four. A day three target doesn’t indicate a future starter, but stranger things have happened in the NFL. Even if this pick were to turn into a longer term backup, there’s nothing wrong with that. A reliable backup that can win games is also coveted in a league that sees teams regularly go 2-3 players deep on their quarterback depth charts. (See also: Mason Rudolph.) Howard’s experience will be a big factor having appeared in 50 games over a five-year collegiate career. That experience includes winning the National Championship in the first expanded College Football Playoff. He also has nearly 9,800 yards passing, including 4,010 yards and 35 touchdowns last season with the Buckeyes. Those factors will at least give Howard some consideration to compete for a backup spot, albeit that time may not come until 2026, should the Steelers sign Aaron Rodgers. Also considered: Kyle McCord (QB, Syracuse), Tyler Shough (QB, Louisville) Founder and Head Writer of Steel City Underground. Crusher of trolls. Voice of reason. Can’t decide whether I like the Steelers more than craft beer. Why do I have to choose? The Milwaukee Bucks could really use Khris Middleton in their series against the Indiana Pacers In the first round versus Indiana last season, Middleton averaged 24.7 points, 9.2 rebounds and 4.7 assists on 48.2 percent shooting across six games. Kyle Kuzma, his replacement at the 2025 trade deadline, has been so abysmal that Doc Rivers gave him only 16 minutes on Sunday Kuzma finished with three points on 1-of-6 shooting from the field This team is missing Middleton more than ever Now, heading on the road in a 3-1 hole, crushed by the news of Damian Lillard's Achilles tear the Bucks are staring down the barrel of elimination On the brink of a third straight first-round exit only one thing about the Kuzma trade should give them hope for next season Lillard's injury isn't just devastating for the player and the Bucks' 2025 playoff aspirations It will likely sideline the star guard for a substantial as was the case when Kevin Durant tore his Achilles in the 2019 Finals forcing him to miss all of the following year If Lillard does return late in the season (he will be 35 years old then) The Milwaukee Bucks are facing a massive void on the roster Not only will they miss the 24.9 points and 7.1 assists Lillard averaged in 2024-25 but his $54 million salary will effectively be dead money Moreover, the supposed third option, Kuzma, has failed to provide the boost Milwaukee anticipated in trading for him He is averaging just six points and shooting 33.3 percent in the playoffs The only upside to the Middleton-Kuzma deal appears to be the salary cap flexibility gained by unloading Middleton's salary to get under the second apron Making use of it this offseason is the team's best chance of fielding a more competitive roster next season the Milwaukee Bucks do have some wiggle room Instead of paying Middleton $34 million next season Brook Lopez's $23 million paycheck is coming off the books in free agency While there are other relevant considerations such as whether Bobby Portis will exercise his $13.4 million player option the former two are the most impactful items the Bucks will be $25 million below the second apron allowing them to take a swing at free agents - most importantly some sort of Lillard replacement - this summer Replacing Lillard's production is all the important given that Kuzma the team's third-leading scorer at 14.5 points per game While Kuzma shot a superficially palatable 45.5 percent from the floor post-trade his poor 3-point and free-throw shooting make him dismally inefficient His 52.2 percent true shooting percentage since February ranked in the bottom quartile of players with over 15 minutes per game in that span his mark of 51.4 ranked in the bottom 12.2 percent his 36.8 percent true shooting is fourth-worst among 121 players playing 15-plus minutes a contest The Bucks desperately need a productive point guard to compensate for Lillard's absence next season it is not a particularly ripe free agency market and they do not have much tradeable salary whose continued shooting struggles and questionable decision-making have tanked his value Milwaukee may need to spread available cap space around several solid but unexciting moves to at least field a competitive at least the Kyle Kuzma trade has given them more room to do so ","https://fansided.com/",{"alt":"67","src":"68","url":"69"},{"type":"66","value":"6a"},"link","Minute Media","https://www.minutemedia.com/",{"text":"6d","url":"6e"},{"type":"6c","value":"6f"},"All Rights Reserved Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Minute Media or its affiliates and related brands placeholders);",{"attributes":"d5","loadingType":"cu","name":"d6","source":"d7","type":"cx"},{"type":"cs","value":"d8"},{},"commercial-api","(function () {\n mmClientApi.push('getPageData' In the first round versus Indiana last season, Middleton averaged 24.7 points, 9.2 rebounds and 4.7 assists on 48.2 percent shooting across six games. Kyle Kuzma, his replacement at the 2025 trade deadline, has been so abysmal that Doc Rivers gave him only 16 minutes on Sunday Now, heading on the road in a 3-1 hole, crushed by the news of Damian Lillard's Achilles tear Moreover, the supposed third option, Kuzma, has failed to provide the boost Milwaukee anticipated in trading for him Bucks can salvage a bad trade by capitalizing on financial flexibility an injury he said occurred at some point in the first quarter He wasn't sure what exactly happened other than he hit it on someone Kuzma added he'll "probably" have to get it checked out after the team returns to Milwaukee for a couple off days before Game 2 on Tuesday Insider: Giannis got his, rest of Bucks fizzled in Game 1. But Pacers’ defense was far from perfect From baked goods to good play: Bennedict Mathurin gets to make on-court difference in playoffs He said the injury did not affect his play in his Bucks playoff debut which was a disappointing 22-minute effort that saw him score zero points on 0-of-5 shooting from the field and an 0-for-2 mark from the free throw line "It's hard to score when you don't touch the ball," Bucks coach Doc Rivers said And we gotta make sure we keep him involved." just find myself and get into actions on my own," he said of how he'll process the game and move forward it's seven games and I'm excited to play because I understand a little bit of what I need to do to attack the next game." Entrepreneur® and its related marks are registered trademarks of Entrepreneur Media LLC Kyle Kuzma has experienced both extremes of the NBA journey. He was a key piece of the 2020 championship-winning Los Angeles Lakers, playing alongside LeBron James on basketball's grandest stage In Washington, he faced a different reality — one where his team failed to break .500. The highs have been exhilarating, and the lows are humbling for the now Milwaukee Buck. Yet through it all, Kuzma has remained adaptable, learning to navigate both the business of basketball and the business of being Kyle Kuzma Kuzma has expanded his investment portfolio refined his personal brand and launched his own media venture — all while maintaining a sharp focus on his day job is knowing what's real and what's just noise and you want to do it all," Kuzma explains you realize there's a lot of fluff out there Having a strong foundation and diversifying is important but it's just as crucial to focus on what you truly know and can build." Related: 'Authenticity is Key': How Two-Time NBA Champion Jrue Holiday is Prioritizing Mental Fitness and Fashion With Rhone Much like his game on the court, Kuzma describes his approach to entrepreneurship as "plug and play." In basketball, his shooting and size allow him to adapt seamlessly to any team he focuses on connecting entrepreneurs with the right people to bring their ideas to life I know someone at Amazon who could help with that,' and make the introduction," he says "It's all about making the right connections." Kuzma remains involved in a wide range of industries — from CPG and spirits to car washes He credits his ability to juggle multiple ventures to his ADHD saying he thrives when working on "a million things at once." for inspiring many of his off-court ventures like his recent investment in Major League Volleyball It was Karri who first introduced him to the sport so I understand what it means to be poor," Kuzma says "Giving back is always important—whether it's to my hometown or through the work we do for single mothers and underprivileged kids during the holidays There's a lot I want to accomplish with my foundation I'm fortunate to have a great team that makes it all happen That mindset also influences his business decisions. Instead of chasing trends Kuzma invests in ventures that align with his values and interests relying on a trusted team to help execute his vision Related: Two Knicks and a Businessman Walk Into a Studio — And Turn Their Side Hustle Into a Booming Business. Here's How They Did It Kuzma has faced his share of criticism. As a young player on a LeBron-led contender, he endured scrutiny over his role. Later, he experienced media backlash in Washington as the Wizards tumbled down the standings. Rather than letting others dictate the story a direct-to-fan newsletter that bypasses traditional media we need to control the narrative around us," Kuzma says "We often get misconstrued by people who only read press clippings and don't actually know us." subscribers get an unfiltered look at his life — everything from his thoughts on being traded to Milwaukee to behind-the-scenes stories from Michael Rubin's exclusive White Party "We discuss what's happened over the past two weeks The newsletter also taps into Kuzma's unique crossover appeal. Some fans subscribe for his takes on basketball, while others are drawn to his tunnel fits and high-fashion sensibilities — or his supermodel fiancée, Winnie Harlow Kuz Kontrol reflects the intersection of sports and lifestyle a space Kuzma has carefully curated over the years particularly through his expressive pre-game fashion choices "I've changed how people approach the tunnel," Kuzma says of his game-day outfits "Guys like Russell Westbrook and Nick Young started it but I'm wearing actual runway pieces and items not designed for games." "Fashion is a space for relevance — not just in sports Just putting on the right clothes can make a statement." Throughout his eight seasons, Kyle Kuzma has been the subject of much commentary. Lakers fans once hailed him as the successor to Kobe Bryant, while Redditors have criticized him as "terrible." Yet one thing remains clear: whether he's wearing a Lakers, Wizards or Bucks jersey — or a giant pink sweater — Kuzma will always prioritize being true to himself We'll be in your inbox every morning Monday-Saturday with all the day’s top business news best advice and exclusive reporting from Entrepreneur sending away longtime forward Khris Middleton to the Washington Wizards in a multi-team deal Breaking: The Milwaukee Bucks are trading Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson and a pick swap to the Washington Wizards for Kyle Kuzma, Patrick Baldwin Jr. and second-round draft compensation, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/hCOzqqqUXE a talented forward who is well-known for his time on the Los Angeles Lakers In the 33 games he has played with the Bucks This is already a drop from the first half of the season where he was averaging 15.2 points This has led to Greg Swartz of BleacherReport labeling this trade Milwaukee's biggest regret of the season More Bucks: Bucks Have One Major Advantage Over the Pacers in Playoff Series "Trading a franchise icon like Khris Middleton was likely a difficult decision for the Milwaukee Bucks even if the 33-year-old was a few seasons removed from his prime," Swartz said "His $31 million contract was Milwaukee's big salary matcher to use in a potential deal especially with Brook Lopez ($23 million) set to become an unrestricted free agent." "The Bucks had one (perhaps last) chance to use Middleton's money and their remaining assets to get a third star next to Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard and try to make another run to the Finals." He's just been OK with the Bucks and isn't in the 'third-best-player-on-a-title-team' caliber If Milwaukee loses in the first round to the Indiana Pacers and Kuzma has a bad series it's going to be a long offseason in Wisconsin." More Bucks: Bucks Star Damian Lillard Medically Cleared to Play in Postseason While Kuzma hasn't necessarily been consistent there have been glimpses of what he could be for the team And that was in only 12 minutes on the floor While there are some questions over Kuzma at the moment there is no doubt that he could easily step up and make himself an important figure on the team More Bucks: NBA Insider Reveals Big Reason Bucks' Damian Lillard Absence Won't Doom Bucks Bucks Notes: Damian Lillard Comeback, Playoff Pressure, Giannis Trade Rumors For more news and notes on the Milwaukee Bucks, head on over to Milwaukee Bucks on SI Kyle Kuzma (right) and Khris Middleton are trading places in a reported swap The Milwaukee Bucks have completed a trade dealing former All-Star forward Khris Middleton to the Washington Wizards for forward Kyle Kuzma The Wizards are also sending forward Patrick Baldwin Jr to Milwaukee while the Bucks are trading guard AJ Johnson to the Wizards The Wizards also will receive a 2028 first-round swap from Milwaukee while the Bucks will get a 2025 second-round pick Milwaukee sends Delon Wright and an undisclosed cash sum to New York for fourth-year center Jericho Sims The move gives the Bucks some financial flexibility in that it gets them below the second apron — meaning Kuzma has seen his scoring take a dip this season after he posted back-to-back campaigns with at least 21 ppg from 2022-24 5.8 rpg and 2.5 apg while shooting 42% overall and 28.1% on 3-pointers the 29-year-old is a couple of years younger than Middleton (33) and will slide into a Milwaukee frontcourt alongside All-Star and former Kia MVP winner Giannis Antetokounmpo 3.7 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game while shooting 51.2% overall and 40.7% on 3-pointers A key part of the Bucks’ championship team in 2021 Middleton has been slowed by injuries since that run and is posting his lowest scoring average since the 2014-15 season Middleton helped the United States win gold at the Tokyo Games later that year and was someone that Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo has raved about for years Middleton owns the Bucks franchise record for career 3-pointers with 1,382 He ranks second in team history in games played (735) and minutes played (23,039) — behind Antetokounmpo — and third in assists (2,990) Washington opened the season hoping to be more competitive with Kuzma, Jordan Poole and new center Jonas Valančiūnas along with No. 2 overall pick Alex Sarr in the mix, too. However, the Wizards are an NBA-worst 8-41 and recently ended a 16-game losing streak when they defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves on Jan. 30 Last season, Kuzma already turned down a reported potential trade to Dallas to remain in Washington. He re-signed with the Wizards in the summer of 2023 The Brooklyn Nets selected Kuzma with the No. 27 pick in the 2017 Draft but he was traded to the Lakers on Draft night He became a significant part of the Lakers’ young roster both before and during LeBron James’ arrival After enjoying mostly a starting role in his second season, Kuzma then handled a bench reserve in his third and fourth seasons because of Anthony Davis’ presence. The Lakers dealt Kuzma and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to the Wizards in a five-team deal in 2021 that landed Russell Westbrook in L.A The Bucks selected Johnson with the 23rd overall pick in the 2024 Draft Baldwin, who went to high school in the Milwaukee area and played his lone college season at Milwaukee, was the 28th overall pick in the 2022 Draft. The 22-year-old forward averaged 2.1 points and 4.6 minutes in 22 games this season. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report. Keep track of every official trade from the 2024-25 season. OKC, Houston, Cleveland, Boston and Memphis stay on top as teams gear up for Thursday's NBA trade deadline. Two All-NBA players have been swapped for each other in the middle of the season in a blockbuster 3-team deal. Teams across the league are honoring players who are on the move before the NBA trade deadline. Celtics announce Porzingis was questionable to return with an illness that they specified was non-Covid. WNBA champions Sabrina Ionescu, Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones glamour up alongside Angel Reese for the annual fashion event. Like many coaches, Kenny Atkinson experienced a setback on his coaching journey. Ultimately, it fueled the 2024-25 NBA Coach of the Year. Follow the NBA Playoffs with our Nightly Pulse blog featuring all the latest news, scores and highlights from around the league. Atkinson guides Cavaliers to a 64-18 record and the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference during 1st year at the helm. RotoWire highlights the top performers after the 2nd full week of the 2025 NBA Playoffs. © 2025 BVM Sports. Best Version Media, LLC. While the trade initially appeared beneficial for both teams it has become clear over time that the Wizards benefited significantly more Kuzma struggled under pressure in Milwaukee while Middleton and Johnson helped revitalize Washington’s roster Despite the Wizards benefiting from the trade Middleton’s injury history and Kuzma's potential for growth in a different environment present complexities that could affect future assessments of this deal Both teams will focus on development in the offseason with the Wizards looking to build on their recent momentum while the Bucks assess Kuzma's fit in their system moving forward The trade has temporarily tilted in the Wizards' favor as they have successfully leveraged new talent while the Bucks struggle to utilize Kuzma effectively Long-term implications will depend on each team's development strategy going forward The summary of the linked article was generated with the assistance of artificial intelligence technology from OpenAI We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it OK Privacy policy Milwaukee was blown off the court in Game 1 against the Indiana Pacers falling down 0-1 in the best-of-seven series More Bucks news: Biggest Overreactions After Bucks Dominated by Pacers in Game 1 But to add insult to injury, forward Kyle Kuzma may have suffered an injury The veteran forward mentioned that he didn't know when the injury occurred but that he thinks it happened in the first quarter Kuzma also said that he would likely need to get it fully checked before playing in Game 2 next week The injury could be a reason for his poor performance in the game Kuzma went 0-of-5 shooting from the field (0-of-2 shooting from distance) and 0-of-2 shooting from the free throw line More Bucks news: Bucks' Kyle Kuzma Makes Unfortunate NBA History in Game 1 vs Pacers and he took a lot of the blame for the loss Over 33 regular season games with the Bucks The forward was a key contributor down the stretch Milwaukee couldn't muster up much of anything against the Pacers' defense Head coach Doc Rivers called out the team for their offense I thought our offense contributed to our defense as anything We just didn't play the way we've played during this stretch offensively which allowed them to have a lot of break outs." Doc Rivers: "I thought our offense was awful which allowed them to have a lot of break outs." Milwaukee could be getting star guard Damian Lillard back for Game 2 the Bucks can't rely on Lillard to save them and it will take a total team effort to get back in this series Bucks Star Giannis Antetokounmpo Supplies Odd Playoff Advice Wild Trade Proposal Has Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo Landing With Warriors How Bobby Portis Can Replace Damian Lillard in Bucks Lineup Nuggets’ Michael Malone Firing Has Instant Impact on Doc Rivers’ Bucks Future In the wake of the NBA’s trade deadline last week many moves were wrapped up into other transactions as the involved teams wheeled and dealt (dealed?) with other rivals The Bucks’ swap of Khris Middleton to the Wizards for Kyle Kuzma was the headline grabber but it ended up also including two other teams (the Knicks and Spurs) That last bit is of particular importance to Milwaukee who went from having just two tradeable future picks unencumbered by swaps to having four (after the 2025 NBA draft This is essentially how the trade looks from Milwaukee’s perspective. For Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, Delon Wright, the rights to Hugo Besson, a 2028 first-round pick swap, and cash, the Bucks acquired Kuzma, Jericho Sims which was reported in the immediate aftermath of the deal will be the second-most favorable of the Pistons’ We also found out upon the trade’s finalization that Milwaukee also received a protected second-round pick from San Antonio in 2026 the Spurs had to send something out to be a part of the trade when they received UWM alum Patrick Baldwin Jr San Antonio controls five second-rounders that season: their own plus four that could come from a variety of teams (four of these eight: OKC/Dallas/Philly The pick is protected; no word on how protected That means if it’s not one of the last five picks in the 2026 draft and while Milwaukee could trade it anytime before then the Bucks gave up quite a bit: $1m went to the Wizards sending away cash in a trade hard-caps teams at the second apron the Bucks have about $3.1m in space beneath it They also created a roster opening by trading away three players and taking back two in return but since they didn’t dip below the NBA’s roster minimum of 14 they’re under no obligation to fill it at all That $3.1m would give them plenty of room for a prorated minimum salary to cover Ryan Rollins for the rest of the season if his two-way contract is converted At 36 games played plus another eight games active Rollins is nearing his 50-game two-way limit and is on pace to hit it by the end of February The exact dollar value of a prorated veteran’s minimum (which is what Rollins would receive having three years of experience) depends on the date it’s signed it would be a fair bit less than a million bucks Milwaukee could convert Rollins and still create another opening for a buyout player by waiving While they would still be on the hook for Livingston’s salary unless he is claimed they’d have over $2m for another rest-of-season prorated minimum or even a ten-day contract since the Bucks are far over the first apron and have no real means to get under it now that the deadline has passed they are forbidden from signing a waived player whose pre-waiver salary exceeded the $12.4m non-taxpayer mid-level exception It was also initially reported that the Bucks would receive the rights to Mathias Lesort in the deal Editor’s note: This is the first in a series of several guest posts we’ll have throughout the coming months. First is Finley Kuehl, who previously wrote for our Spurs sister site Pounding The Rock Kyle Kuzma has been the toughest of Milwaukee’s trade deadline acquisitions to evaluate and Jericho Sims have established themselves as clear positives in their roles Kuzma’s performance so far has been a mixed bag His offense has been a far cry from what Khris Middleton brought in both the playstyle and production departments Kuzma has averaged 14.1 points and 2.1 assists on 42.9% from the field and 29.4% from three There have been things to like about what Kuz has brought to the table Let’s dive into Kuzma’s offensive skill set and determine just how good (or bad) he is on that end Kuzma has impressed the most offensively with his cutting He’s shown acute instincts for when to dart to the rim and he’s moved well off the ball in general Kuzma’s cutting has made him a valuable off-ball weapon even with his outside shot not falling Kuzma’s sharp cutting has been a release valve on broken possessions When a teammate gets stuck in a tough spot he gives them an outlet by finding gaps in the defense and freeing himself up for an easy lay-in This trait is especially valuable with Giannis on the court as the MVP attracts a ton of eyeballs when he’s driving or posting up Kuzma can provide similar value in other ways too the 29-year-old was often the number one option he added a decent isolation bag to his game they can toss the ball to Kuzma and let him make something out of nothing the results of this are varied (see the weaknesses section) Just like Kuzma can be an isolation option he absolutely has the capacity to be a catch-and-shoot threat the former champ is a 38.5% shooter from the corner he showed comfort as a microwave spot-up shooter He’s had games as a Buck where he’s found a rhythm from beyond the arc namely when he knocked down five triples against the Warriors on March 18th While his overall track record suggests he’s not a 40% sniper shooting can be a strength for Kuzma on any given night Kuzma’s shot diet in Milwaukee’s offense has included a healthy dose of spot-up tries and he’s been more efficient on them than he was as a Wizard As he spends more time in an off-ball role his shot-making should ideally continue to trend upward This chart gives a full look at Kuz’s play type data and how things have changed for him in a new role and power to put together some flashy drives Even though his moves and approaches can be awkward he’s much more effective in the paint than he is anywhere else the second most impressive aspect of Kuzma’s offense has been his passing The 6’9” forward is a sharp ball mover who has been unselfish in his decision-making in his new it’s clear that Kuzma’s optimal role on a night-to-night basis is as a connector It’s nice knowing that he can take over games when featured more prominently but more often than not since becoming a Buck Despite over 90% of his three-point tries being assisted opposing teams will be happy to leave Kuzma wide open in favor of sending extra help at Giannis and Dame His cutting will help negate the negative effects of his shooting a little as defenses can’t just completely ignore him he may end up being benched in big moments in favor of Taurean Prince or Gary Trent Jr he hasn’t even consistently taken good ones He’ll take tough pull-up middies or flick up prayers at the rim from impossible angles A lot of this is a result of his athletic limitations He doesn’t have the burst to blow by defenders He doesn’t have the power to bulldoze his way to the rack either Kuzma is a tough shot taker because he doesn’t have the tools to get easy looks for himself Kuzma’s awkwardness leads to some unnecessary turnovers too and his assist-to-turnover ratio is barely positive He also occasionally inexplicably blows bunnies He’s a talented inside-the-arc scorer and a microwave who can take over for stretches He’s also inefficient in his shotmaking and selection can he be the third option for the Bucks deep into the postseason We’ve already seen him be the third scoring option on a team that won it all back in 2020 He was successful in that role for the Lakers because he had LeBron James and Anthony Davis to relieve pressure from him and allow him to focus on his strengths Giannis and Dame are already providing similar things Kuzma has taken many more assisted looks since joining the Bucks than he did in Washington This chart shows how he’s getting a lot easier looks in Milwaukee than he was in Washington The biggest problem right now is that Kuz is still working on removing all the bad habits he developed as a Wizard from his game The hoops being played during his time in DC were so unstructured that he has to settle back into being a third option on a winning team and he has the rest of the regular season to find that comfort chances are Bucks fans will love him after the playoffs PHOENIX — Kyle Kuzma just added some intrigue to the Washington Wizards’ relatively placid season minutes after his best all-around game this season and with the NBA trade deadline looming on Feb Kuzma said he intends to be more assertive and indicated he’ll be less likely to try to fit into the franchise’s plan to develop its youngsters Kuzma made his comments after the Wizards lost to the Phoenix Suns He scored a season-high 30 points on 12-of-24 shooting from the field tied a season-high with 11 rebounds and also added four assists “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 Asked immediately what he meant by playing in the moment and not trying to fit in “I mean just not trying to fit into what we’re trying to do here not just going out there and trying to let people develop has endured the roughest season of his four-year Wizards tenure Injuries have been a large part of the reason for his struggles He missed five games early in the season because of a groin strain and later missed an entire month because he sprained rib cartilage He’s only recently begun to regain his rhythm But his difficulties go further than injuries With the Wizards in the early stages of a rebuild team officials have prioritized developing the young nucleus of second-year swingman Bilal Coulibaly and rookies Alex Sarr Carrington and George have played heavy minutes and been given the green light to take good shots guard Jordan Poole and Coulibaly have been assigned some of the ballhandling duties that often went to Kuzma during his first three seasons with Washington Kuzma entered Saturday averaging 14.0 points 2.6 assists and 13.3 field-goal attempts per game his lowest averages since he was a role player as a member of the 2020-21 defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers While the diminished role hasn’t been easy it’s been made doubly difficult because of the Wizards’ on-court struggles as a team The Utah Jazz have the NBA’s next-worst record in his postgame question-and-answer session with reporters indicated he was pleased with how Kuzma played against the Suns Keefe responded: “I think he’s just still getting his rhythm (Reporters and I) talked about this maybe a week ago He didn’t really have much of a chance to train with all the ins and outs of the lineup this year Keefe made those comments before Kuzma spoke to reporters It should be noted that Washington’s young players still played heavy minutes Saturday and still took plenty of shots the Wizards played one of their more competitive games in weeks “I think I’ve tried to fit in,” Kuzma said when he was asked whether he’s been “holding back” this season “I think I’ve tried to help the young guys build confidence and do their thing I think today I was just really the most assertive I’ve been all year.” Does Kuzma feel like being aggressive and trying to help the young players are at odds sometimes only because there’s certain positions on the floor where we run plays All this adds an interesting wrinkle to the Wizards’ trade deliberations before the Feb Last season, Monumental Basketball president Michael Winger had a concrete trade offer on the table from the Dallas Mavericks, but Winger felt lukewarm about it. At that time, Winger asked Kuzma if he wanted to be traded and Kuzma said he preferred to remain with the Wizards Winger wound up declining the Mavericks’ trade offer But all indications are that Kuzma is less patient now with the Wizards’ direction. Asked last weekend how he would respond if Winger approaches him before Feb I didn’t think last year was the right time (for a trade) after signing the deal (a four-year contract in 2023) That was kind of more of a last-year thing I haven’t had conversations (with Wizards management) this is really the first time I’m really talking about it.” Kuzma’s injuries and struggles this season may have lowered his trade value leaguewide his contract features descending year-by-year guaranteed salaries that would make him a less risky acquisition for title contenders followed by a salary of $21.5 million in 2025-26 and a salary of $19.4 million in 2026-27 Kuzma made it clear he intends to be more assertive on the court from this point on Asked whether he hopes to be more aggressive or more passive the rest of this season (Top photo of Kyle Kuzma and Mason Plumlee: Aryanna Frank / Imagn Images) ATLANTA — Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers was upset following Friday’s 115-110 loss to the Atlanta Hawks After hitting 11 3s and scoring 47 points in the second quarter, the Bucks built an 18-point halftime lead they came out of halftime and let the Hawks outscore them in the third and went into the final quarter trailing by two ended a streak of 16 consecutive misses from behind the line with a triple with 3:34 remaining to cut the Hawks lead to 106-105 The Hawks scored on the first possession out of that timeout they got three seconds into the possession before Rivers threw his hands in the air from the opposite end of the floor “We came out of a timeout and three guys forgot the play,” Rivers said Three different guys went to the wrong spot “I gotta do a better job of getting our focus I gotta do something to shock us into the right spot when we start; we’re too good of a basketball team to act like that And we’ve won nothing so we deserve nothing the Hawks quickly took control as they went on a 6-0 run and closed out the game to drop the Bucks to 27-23 on the season the Bucks are 1 1/2 games behind the Indiana Pacers for fourth in the Eastern Conference and two games ahead of the Detroit Pistons for fifth Friday’s game was the team’s first since the NBA trade deadline which meant it was the Bucks’ first regular-season game without Khris Middleton on the active roster since Apr Bucks general manager Jon Horst was able to execute two trades The second deal was finished minutes before the deadline and sent MarJon Beauchamp to the LA Clippers in exchange for Kevin Porter Jr Horst has not yet conducted his normal debrief with reporters following the trade deadline but Rivers did field questions about the Bucks’ moves before Friday’s game in Atlanta Here are the five biggest takeaways from that 10-minute session even though he seemed to be getting healthier but we’ll miss his brain and we’ll miss a lot of things that he brought to the table.” Takeaway: Trading Middleton was a huge organizational decision. When, or perhaps if, Horst speaks about the decision, he will likely be able to shed greater light on the financial incentives of swapping out Middleton’s salary for Kuzma’s smaller one it was noteworthy that Rivers mentioned Middleton’s health as one of the driving factors behind the move Middleton appeared in 23 of 48 games before the Bucks agreed to a deal to send him to the Wizards on Wednesday Middleton averaged 23.2 minutes and only started seven games before the Bucks opted to bring him off the bench Rivers clarified that he thought Middleton was getting healthier and added that he believes Middleton “will be healthy” moving forward but the mere mention of his health suggests there was at least some concern about what Middleton would be able to do the rest of the season to another team allows the Bucks to feel more certain about what they are going to get on a nightly basis His transition numbers are right behind Giannis in transition off the bounce when he rebounds and breaks out Also a throw-ahead big where you can throw ahead to him and he can attack So he does a lot of things that can help us.” Takeaway: The Bucks plan to start Kuzma at small forward even though Kuzma has played power forward for much of his NBA career I don’t think we did this not to (start him),” Rivers said Rivers has talked about the Bucks’ identity He has made it clear that the Bucks are at their best when they lean into their strengths as a big strong team that plays physical defense and gets in the painted area on offense and starting him alongside Antetokounmpo and Lopez allows the Bucks to play with more size but it will ultimately lead to some interesting decisions with the rest of the starting lineup Damian Lillard is obviously the starting point guard has started 40 games in that spot to help set the tone from a defense and effort perspective the Bucks would start four players 6-6 or taller but that may also cause some problems from a spacing perspective While Kuzma believes he is not often guarded as a player who is a career 33.4 percent 3-point shooter he is still a 33.4 percent 3-point shooter And although Jackson is a career 37.7 percent 3-point shooter he is often ignored behind the 3-point line and dared to shoot by opposing defenses that would rather clog the lane for Antetokounmpo if Kuzma is going to take a spot in the starting lineup what does that mean Rivers is going to do with the fifth starting spot Rivers: “Our small-ball lineups have been awful Coming into the year we thought they’d be great and we have not found the right group yet Every basketball part of me thinks it should be good we’ve gone small with Brook and been better than we have with Giannis at the five so we have to figure that out Takeaway: That’s about as blunt as an answer can get the Bucks are outscoring opponents by 1.8 points per 100 possessions in the 230 possessions that Antetokounmpo has been on the floor with Bobby Portis and Lopez off the floor giving up 128.2 points per 100 possessions that there is some potential for those lineups to be strong if Rivers can find the right combination lineups that feature Antetokounmpo at center have scored at an amazing rate it’s just a matter of finding defensive units that can hold up well enough for the huge offensive numbers to create a positive differential but he could provide a different look for the Bucks’ on defense in these small-ball lineups Maybe this team just isn’t meant to thrive with small-ball looks but Rivers should at least give lineups with Kuzma and Antetokounmpo as the bigs a look to see if there is something there that they just haven’t been able to uncover yet Rivers on what Sims brings: “I didn’t know that we needed a stretch big I’ll take the size and the ability to roll and run the floor they’ve played zero (minutes) and zero practices I would say can we at least get a chance to see everybody play basketball a little bit You may come in with a plan in a trade that you’re gonna start guys What we’re trying (to do)—we’re in the wins business And that’s what we’re trying to figure out.” is unlike any other player on the Bucks roster at the moment and unlike any big man Milwaukee has had in years He is uber-athletic and bouncy with quick feet and a great lob catcher The Bucks haven’t really tried to use that archetype of big man recently It will be interesting to see if Rivers finds Sims a spot in the rotation or just uses him as a player that can help out on the nights that one of the three-man rotation of bigs is forced to miss a night. That has been a struggle for the Bucks recently as Antetokounmpo has missed three straight games with left calf tightness and Portis missed six games as he mourned his grandmother’s passing You always say like when these things come up I’ve never had a problem with investing in the human spirit And I think he has and our job now is to try to not only make him a better player has had issues off the court throughout his NBA career the Rockets traded Porter to the Oklahoma City Thunder Porter spent last season playing in Greece before signing a two-year deal with the Clippers in July 2024 But it has not just been Porter’s problematic off-the-court behavior that has caused issues for teams over the years He has also been disruptive in each of the NBA locker rooms he has been in before joining the Clippers At the start of his second NBA season as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Porter was involved in a one-car accident in Nov. 2020. For that incident, he was arrested and charged with improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle failure to control the vehicle and misdemeanor possession of marijuana All of those charges were dismissed and the Cavaliers decided to help him through his personal issues before letting him get back on the court In Jan. 2021, the Cavaliers traded him to the Houston Rockets, following an outburst in the team locker room when he realized that the team had moved his locker to the area where the young players typically sit While Rivers suggested that the Bucks were aware of all of these issues he told reporters that he spoke with Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue Rivers’ former lead assistant in Los Angeles about Porter and that put him at ease regarding any potential problems with adding him “Yeah,” Rivers said when asked if he talked with Lue about Porter While Porter showed great potential in his first four NBA seasons he is currently putting together his worst NBA season 3.6 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game while shooting 42.3 percent from the field and 24.5 percent from behind the 3-point line Rivers’ belief in the human spirit is endearing but Horst will need to further address why the Bucks made this move when he speaks to reporters following this year’s trade deadline (Photo of Kyle Kuzma and Doc Rivers: Scott Cunningham / NBAE via Getty Images) The Bucks also sent rookie guard AJ Johnson, their first-round draft selection last year, and a pick swap to Washington, which dealt forward Patrick Baldwin Jr and second-round draft compensation to Milwaukee As part of the deal, the New York Knicks are sending center Jericho Sims to the Bucks in exchange for Delon Wright and cash spent the past 11-plus seasons in Milwaukee and was one of the foundational players on the Bucks' championship team in 2021 But he has been hampered by injuries in recent years and continues to recover from offseason surgery on both ankles which sidelined him for the first 21 games of this season and has limited his production -- his 12.6 points per game is his lowest scoring average since 2013-14 Middleton is owed $31.7 million this season and has a player option for next year worth $34 million but his salary drops to $21.4 million next season followed by $19.4 million in the final year of his deal Kuzma is reducing a portion of the trade bonus in his contract The savings drops Milwaukee below the second apron which will give the Bucks more flexibility to improve their roster The Bucks can now aggregate salaries to make a trade, which they were previously restricted in doing under the collective bargaining agreement. But to achieve that flexibility, the Bucks traded their longest-tenured player, a longtime running mate to franchise superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo as he hyperextended his knee during the 2021-22 regular season before suffering an MCL sprain in his left knee during the playoffs then missed an additional 18 straight games during the year with knee soreness The ankle surgeries in the offseason delayed Middleton's season debut until December He had 12,586 points with Milwaukee to rank as the franchise's third-leading scorer Download the ESPN app and enable Shams Charania's news alerts to receive push notifications for the latest updates first. Opt in by tapping the alerts bell in the top right corner. For more information, click here He ranks second in team history in games played (735) and minutes played (23,039) -- behind Antetokounmpo -- and third in assists (2,990) also can play in the frontcourt next to Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee's small-ball lineups he has struggled throughout his career shooting from the outside; he is a career 33% 3-point shooter $102 million deal with Washington in July 2023 a contract that came after he averaged 21.2 points and 7.2 rebounds in 64 games which tracked opponents shooting 42.7% against him this season That falls within the top 25 players with at least 250 field goal attempts has not played much for the Bucks as a rookie and has spent most of the season in the G League appearing in 22 games for the Wizards this season They wanted someone younger who could still add something this season Middleton clearly is not someone who is going to be the same player he once was His scoring totals were the lowest since his second season in the NBA Adding Kuzma gives the Bucks some size at the wing spot which helps them offensively and defensively He is also a guy who can put the ball in the hoop at a high clip at any point they think that they have a shot to win the NBA title this year They just have to be healthier than they were a year ago in the playoffs Read more: Doc Rivers Says Bucks Could Mix Starting Lineup Up One NBA insider thinks that he's had an even bigger impact on the Bucks than people think His impact is going beyond the stats for the Bucks Jamal Collier of ESPN believes that what Kuzma has done for the bench is going unnoticed He also believes that the youth that he adds to the team is something that they desperately need Kuzma is playing the most minutes per game since the 2022-23 season logging 34.2 minutes per game with the Bucks His ability to lead the bench unit with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard resting is valuable for them as well What Kuzma has been able to do in a short time is exactly what they were hoping for when they traded for him Milwaukee was hoping that Kuzma would start playing better now that he actually has a shot to play in the playoffs More Bucks news: One-Time Bucks Center Announces Retirement Following 10-Year NBA Career The Bucks are now fourth in the Eastern Conference standings because they hold the tiebreaker over the Pacers They have won seven of their last eight games It's clear that Kuzma is feeling more comfortable with his new team That has led to the team playing some of its best basketball of the entire season More Milwaukee Bucks news: Damian Lillard Reveals Biggest Priority For Bucks Heading Toward Postseason Former Bucks Guard Patrick Beverley Offers Wild Reaction to Bobby Portis Suspension For more news and notes on the Milwaukee Bucks, visit Milwaukee Bucks on SI Help keep local news alive—donate to support our community reporting!Donate Traci Husse the DCS Board of Education voted to pursue tenure charges against a DCS teacher.  Filing tenure charges is part of the process of terminating a contract with a tenured teacher.” At the Dexter Community Schools Board of Education meeting on Monday the board entered a closed session to discuss what was listed as a “Tenure Charge Recommendation” on the agenda According to the Michigan Department of Education a tenure charge is a “formal disciplinary action initiated by a school district against a tenured teacher under the Teacher Tenure Act (Public Act 4 of 1937 The session was closed at the request of the educator during the public comment portion of the meeting several people provided comments in support of the teacher at least two individuals identified the person in question as Katherine Kuzma a physical education teacher at Mill Creek Middle School.  Though all public comments at the meeting were in support of Ms some of the wording used in those comments indicated that the tenure charge may be related to accusations of “grooming” or “sexual impropriety.” Neither the school district nor Ms Kuzma has commented on the nature of the tenure charges.  Bruce Brown is the former Superintendent at Stockbridge Schools and worked with Ms Kuzma for several years before she moved to Dexter Community Schools one of the most ethical people that I’ve ever had the pleasure to work with in my career and I read the word ‘grooming,’ it’s not in her DNA Additional comments revealed that the accusations could have to do with Ms a longtime Trustee of the Stockbridge School Board also spoke publicly in support of Kuzma “Snippets from emails can be taken out of context and presented in a manner to lead a conclusion and a vote a certain way We’ve all seen the power of context–when things are taken out of context.” she probably didn’t even know what the definition of that word was The emails to male students were at the top of the list Was that a strategy to promote outrage or hysteria Why was that more important as a central focus than what was stated as the same amount of emails to female athletes and students?” It is unclear to what list Ms It’s my opinion that any accusations made against her character or professionalism are gross misrepresentations of who she is.” Kuzma had on their students during the time she taught and coached them saying “[Student name] really valued Katherine’s periodic messages of encouraging hard work leading by examples and he wanted to show his appreciation to her by motivating Katherine to pursue her own weight lifting goals during Coach Whittaker’s before school conditioning program.” When asked about the tenure charges discussed in the closed session Dexter Community Schools Superintendent Dr Chris Timmis provided The Sun Times News with the following statement:  “Dexter Community Schools takes tremendous pride in hiring the best educators to work with our students.  When we have a situation where one of those educators does not meet our expectations we are swift with removing the individual from our schools.   the DCS Board of Education voted to pursue tenure charges against a DCS teacher.  Filing tenure charges is part of the process of terminating a contract with a tenured teacher.  This decision is not taken lightly but is necessary to uphold our standard of only having the best educators working with our students.”   Video for the Board Meeting can be found on the Dexter Community Schools YouTube channel.  Katherine Kuzma could not be reached for comment.  Mike Williamson The Sun Times News is the hub of the most useful information in Chelsea Subscribe to our free daily newsletter to stay on top of all the local news The Milwaukee Bucks made a trade to bring in Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma in exchange for Milwaukee mainstay Khris Middleton How old is Kyle Kuzma?He's 29 years old and will turn 30 in July Kuzma was taken in the first round of the 2017 NBA Draft with the 27th overall pick by the Brooklyn Nets though he was traded on draft day to the Lakers (in a deal that sent future Bucks big man Brook Lopez from the Nets to the Lakers He was named to the All-Rookie Team and later won a championship in the 2020 "bubble" season with the Lakers a five-team blockbuster that also included Russell Westbrook and started his high-school career at Bentley High School in Burton before playing for an academy in Pennsylvania How tall is Kyle Kuzma?The forward stands 6-9 and he averaged more than 21 points per contest for the Wizards the past two seasons with a dramatic decrease in his shooting percentages He's shooting 42% overall and 28% from 3-point range after shooting 46% last year and 34% from three Kuzma is also averaging 2.5 assists and 5.8 rebounds this year in 27.7 minutes per game Kuzma has seen a reduction in playing time this year, ostensibly because the Wizards are focused on building up its younger core. In January, Kuzma vowed to be more assertive going forward and not necessarily aligning with the idea of rebuilding What is Kyle Kuzma's contract?In 2023, Kuzma signed a four-year, $102-million dollar deal with the Wizards. He will be an unrestricted free agent after the 2026-27 season Is Kyle Kuzma good on defense?Most indications are that Kuzma is a solid defender who can guard multiple positions Kuzma's defensive rating of 120.1 last year would have been slightly worse than the league-average power forward (114.6) or small forward (115.8) He has a 120.3 defensive rating thus far in 2024-25 Kevin O'Connor of Yahoo! pointed to some of the financial ramifications in the deal noting Milwaukee is no longer a "second apron" team and can aggregate salaries in trades He suggested that gives the Bucks flexibility to trade players like Bobby Portis "Middleton-for-Kuzma suggests the Bucks intend to play more lineups with Giannis at center since Kuzma provides size at the forward spot alongside him," O'Connor wrote "Maybe if another move is coming it’ll support that vision." Longtime NBA writer Zach Lowe didn't seem to love it. "We'll see what else Milwaukee does in the next 30 hours -- they are under 2nd apron now Kuzma's contract declines nicely for them -- but giving up your '24 first (Johnson who has potential) already in this trade + KM + a pick swap for a 33% career 3-point shooter is a lot," Lowe wrote on social media Reporter Jake Fischer indicated that Giannis Antetokounmpo gave a vote of support for Kuzma. This article was updated to fix an inaccuracy.