For 12 years, forward Khris Middleton was the Milwaukee Bucks' rock—helping the team turn its uncertain 2010s into a remarkable 2021 championship run.
On Wednesday, then, a chapter in Bucks history closed. Milwaukee traded Middleton to the Washington Wizards for a package centered on forward Kyle Kuzma, adding a decent piece from an awful team but bidding farewell to a three-time All-Star in the process.
When news of the trade broke, many observers assumed that the Wizards would simply buy out the aging Middleton. Not so fast, according to SI's Chris Mannix.
"(Wizards') plan, for now, is to hold on to Khris Middleton, who played with (guard) Malcolm Brogdon in Milwaukee," Mannix wrote on social media Wednesday afternoon. "Move gives Washington a little financial flexibility and frees up even more playing time/responsibility for its young wings."
Brogdon, a Buck from 2017 to '19, is in his first year with the Wizards after a July 6 trade from the Portland Trail Blazers.
Washington's moves must be viewed in the context of its putrid 8-41 start; the Wizards appear prepared to salvage whatever stability they can out of a lost season.
