With the 2025 NBA Trade Deadline set for February 6, rumors will start heating up, and there will be plenty involving the Milwaukee Bucks.
Sure enough, NBA insider Jake Fischer reported that while the Milwaukee Bucks are still a team in the mix for Miami's Jimmy Butler, they have had conversations about Washington's Kyle Kuzma as of late. HoopsHype's Michael Scotto reported on Milwaukee eyeing Kuzma back in December, but that felt as if it was more of keeping tabs on him from afar. Now, it seems like those talks are possibly heating up.
Kyle Kuzma is far from a perfect fit for the Milwaukee Bucks
Undoubtedly, Kyle Kuzma would help the Milwaukee Bucks get more versatile, an area they do not have much flexibility in this season. A 6-foot-9 power and small forward capable of taking on tough defensive assignments could be useful, especially when the team goes small and needs someone bigger to play the four next to Giannis Antetokounmpo.
As discussed previously, Kuzma is a less attractive trade target due to the second apron restrictions the Bucks face. With a $23.5 million salary, the Bucks would currently have to shed Khris Middleton to bring him in. If they were to get under the looming second apron, they could trade Brook Lopez and minimum-contract player, but even then, many would say that's too much.
Kuzma is a nice player who helped the Los Angeles Lakers win a title in 2020, but there are questions regarding how he'd fit in Milwaukee. Again, the defense would be solid, but with his lack of a reliable outside shot and hefty shot diet with the Wizards, it's unclear how he'd adjust to playing behind two stars once again. It could either be a smooth return or something that never simply pans out.
Sticking with Lopez, the Milwaukee Bucks already have issues at the center spot. Trading Lopez and not having a center at all outside of Bobby Portis certainly would not solve those issues. While it's a popular idea among fans, Giannis Antetokounmpo cannot be the full-time center, and the same goes for Portis. If Lopez gets moved, it should be for someone without as many question marks as Kuzma.
If the Milwaukee Bucks will entertain Khris Middleton or Brook Lopez in trade talks, it should be for a clear-cut star, such as Butler, who is seemingly becoming a likelier target with each passing day.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.