The Milwaukee Bucks made a shocking trade for Kyle Kuzma before the deadline that cost them Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, and a 2028 first-round pick swap, and their return was finalized by the 47th pick that turned into Bogoljub Markovic. Kuz was an absolute nightmare in the playoffs and Sims rarely played. To part with their most recent first-round pick and a future swap, this deal looks awful. The Bucks can't expect Markovic to save it.
The hit rate on second-round draft picks is not strong. It is more likely Milwaukee gets a G League player than a key rotation piece. With Sims heading to free agency and zero reason to believe Kuzma will bounce back, this could be a nightmare trade that has Milwaukee parting with a lottery pick. The Bucks need Kuz to be better, especially with two years left on his deal.
The Bucks dumped Middleton’s contract and took a shot to try to improve their title odds. It did not work. Milwaukee was bounced in the first round of the playoffs and potentially gave up a juicy draft pick in this deal. It is a swap, so Milwaukee would get the Wizards' selection in return, but Washington may be taking a step forward at that point.
Kyle Kuzma trade looks even worse as Bucks’ return is finalized
This trade is one draft pick away from being completed. Here is a look at the full details with the selections updated to reflect the player taken.
- Bucks received: Kyle Kuzma, Jericho Sims, Bogoljub Markovic
- Wizards received: Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, 2028 1st-round pick swap
- Knicks received: Delon Wright, cash
- Spurs received: Patrick Baldwin Jr., cash
Kuzma averaged 14.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in 29.8 minutes per game last season. He shot just 43.6 percent from the field and 30.7 percent on his 3-point attempts. Milwaukee needs a scorer with Damian Lillard likely to miss the entire 2025-26 season and Middleton in the nation’s capital. The role is wide open, but there is little reason to believe in Kuzma, especially after he put up fewer than six points per game in the playoffs.
If the Wizards are in the playoffs in 2028 and the Bucks fall into the lottery, this trade will officially reach nightmare status. Milwaukee can’t expect Markovic to be anything more than a depth piece. Things are already bad and likely to get worse. It is a sunk cost now, so the Bucks must accept the failure and move on.
The Milwaukee Bucks have struggled to find talent in the draft in recent years. Fans should not expect that to suddenly change. Another bust will only add to fans Giannis Antetokounmpo concerns. Nobody wants it to come to losing the Greek Freak, but the repeated mistakes will be why if it happens. This is at the forefront of the disaster.