The Washington Wizards yesterday acquired forward Khris Middleton, guard Akeem Jamaal (AJ) Johnson, the right to swap a 2028 first-round pick, and cash considerations from the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for forward Kyle Kuzma and a 2025 second-round pick. As part of a four-team trade, the Wizards also acquired the draft rights to Mathias Lessort from the New York Knicks and dealt Patrick Baldwin Jr. to San Antonio.
“We look forward to welcoming Khris and AJ to Washington” stated General Manager Will Dawkins. “Khris is a championship-caliber player whose professionalism will help our organization in multiple ways. AJ’s addition to our roster provides us another young, athletic, and versatile guard.”
Middleton (6-7, 222) was selected by the Detroit Pistons in the 2012 NBA Draft (39th overall) before being traded to Milwaukee in 2013. A three-time All-Star (2019, 2020, 2022), he was also a member of Team USA that captured gold during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. In 762 career games (657 starts) across 13 seasons with Detroit and Milwaukee, Middleton holds career averages of 16.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game. He has made nine playoff appearances (80 games) and started every game during Milwaukee’s playoff run to the 2021 NBA Championship. In the postseason, Middleton has averaged 20.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game.
Johnson (6-5, 170) was selected by the Bucks in the 2024 NBA Draft (23rd overall). He is currently averaging 2.9 points, 1.0 rebounds, and 1.0 assists in seven games with Milwaukee this season. Johnson has also appeared in 25 games (Tip-Off Tournament + Regular Season) for the Bucks’ G League affiliate, the Wisconsin Herd, averaging 13.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 4.0 assists in 28.6 minutes per game. He joins Alex Sarr (second), Bub Carrington (14th), and Kyshawn George (24th) as the fourth player from the 2024 NBA Draft to be added to Washington’s roster.
In three-and-a-half seasons with Washington, Kuzma appeared in 232 games (230 starts) averaging 19.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists. In 32 appearances for the Wizards this season, he averaged 15.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game. Kuzma was originally acquired by Washington in a trade with the Los Angeles Lakers prior to the 2021-2022 season.
“We want to thank Kyle for his contributions during his time with our team,” said Dawkins. “His impact on and off the court was felt by teammates, coaches, and fans alike. His dedication to giving back to the DMV community will leave a lasting impact. We wish him and Patrick success in the next chapter of their careers.”
Baldwin Jr. was traded to Washington prior to the start of the 2023-24 season and appeared in 60 games, averaging 3.6 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 0.5 assists per game.
