Fantasy Basketball Impact of Bucks, Wizards Trade | Khris Middleton, Kyle Kuzma, Bobby Portis, Bilal Coulibaly, Alexandre Sarr and More

Another big NBA trade just went down.

Let’s break down the deal the Milwaukee Bucks and Washington Wizards made.

We’ll discuss the trade from a general perspective, then jump into fantasy ramifications. Let’s go!

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The Trade

As you can see above, the Bucks decided to move on from Khris Middleton, packaging him with rookie AJ Johnson to get Kyle Kuzma and Patrick Baldwin Jr. from the Wizards.

The deal gets the Bucks below the second apron, which opens the door for the team to aggregate salaries in other trades.

That’s a big deal for the Bucks, but if this is the only move the team ends up making, I’m not sure I understand the trade.

Both Middleton and Kuzma have missed time with injuries this season. Kuzma has played 32 games to just 23 for Middleton.

While Kuzma is averaging more points (15.2) and rebounds (5.8), Middleton is the better player in most other stats. 

Middleton is averaging 12.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 0.7 steals and 0.2 blocks. He’s shooting 51.2% from the field, 40.7% from 3-point land and 84.8% from the free-throw line.

Kuzma has 2.5 assists, 0.6 steals and 0.2 blocks to go along with his 15.2 points and 5.8 rebounds. He’s shooting a much worse 42% overall, 28.1% on 3-pointers and 60.2% from the line.

I’d have argued that Kuzma was the No. 2 player on Washington coming into the season, and he’s scoring the second-most points per game, but has one of the worst player efficiency ratings (10.7) on the team. He’s got the second-worst plus/minus net rating per 100 possessions - essentially, the Wizards (an 8-41 team) are better when he’s off the court.

Now Kuzma is going to join a Bucks team supposedly competing for a title. He’ll drop down to the No. 3 offensive option behind Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, like Middleton was, but I just do not see what was so appealing for the Bucks to make this deal.

Middleton helped the Bucks win a title a couple seasons ago and can still deliver good numbers when he’s healthy. This move sets the Bucks up a bit better for the coming years, so maybe that was the thought, because this doesn’t move their championship needle up - I’d actually argue that this actually hurts their title chances.

Johnson and Baldwin are basically throw-ins to move some more money around. Johnson has only played in seven games in his rookie season, but has shown flashes of potential in the G League. Baldwin has played 22 games but averaged just 4.6 minutes in his third NBA season. 

In the G League, Johnson is averaging 13.7 points, 3.6 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.3 blocks across 29.2 minutes in 10 games. Baldwin has played in seven games, averaging 15 points, 6 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.7 steals and 1.6 blocks across 27.2 minutes.

Fantasy Impact for Bucks

We’ll start with the fantasy impact for the Bucks, as they are a contending team (supposedly).

Playing alongside better teammates should give a boost to Kuzma’s fantasy outlook. I don’t know that his numbers will change all that much, but he should shoot a better percentage with more open looks that Giannis and Dame create.

Right now, Kuzma ranks 91st on the FantasySP Fantasy Basketball Trade Value Chart. He’s rostered in 81% of leagues, and should get a little boost after the trade.

If you are a bigger believer in Kuzma after the trade, adding and stashing him would be a wise move. The fantasy appeal for him should rise simply because he’s on a better team and playing alongside Dame and Giannis.

Baldwin isn’t likely to factor in all that much the rest of the season, but depending on what other moves the Bucks make, he could play a decent role for a couple games. He’s worth watching in deep, deep leagues in case the Bucks give him a little playing time.

I don’t see the trade impacting Antetokounmpo and Lillard all that much from a fantasy perspective. They should remain the 1-2 punch at the top of the Bucks’ roster.

Bobby Portis and Brook Lopez likely won’t see their fantasy values altered much either if they stay on the team. I think Milwaukee is going to trade at least one of those two, but for now, they remain the top big men on the team outside Giannis.

With Kuzma and Middleton playing pretty much the same positions, not too much should be altered really in Milwaukee.

Gary Trent Jr., Taurean Prince, Andre Jackson Jr., AJ Green and Ryan Rollins should retain their roles. Prince and Trent are only fantasy options in the deepest of leagues, while Jackson, Green and Rollins haven’t performed consistently enough to be fantasy assets in many leagues.

A trade could always shake up the rotation, so it’s at least worth watching the team’s box scores over the next couple weeks to see if anyone steps up.

Delon Wright and Pat Connaughton are the only other Bucks averaging double-digit minutes this season, but they’ve been in and out of the rotation and both have played in under 30 games. This trade shouldn’t affect either guy much, and I wouldn’t be surprised if both are also sent out in trades.

The same can be said for MarJon Beauchamp, who has played in 25 games, but only averages 4.8 minutes per contest. He probably will be traded, and if he’s not, he’s unlikely to see his role increase after the trade.

Fantasy Impact for Wizards

There will be a bigger fantasy impact in Washington. I do not think a veteran like Middleton is going to want to spend the back end of his career on a rebuilding franchise. 

Another move is likely coming, and that means the Wizards sent out a pretty impactful player and might not replace him with another.

If Middleton does end up staying in Washington, his fantasy value should increase pretty significantly. He ranks 107th on the trade chart and is rostered in about 75% of leagues. 

I’d add Middleton if he was available in my league. Either he leads a weak Washington team and increases his numbers across the board, or is moved to another contender, where he might also have an increased role and fantasy value. I wouldn’t mind adding and stashing him for a week or so to see how things play out.

Washington is a good bet to make some more moves before the trade deadline as well. If they stand pat though, here’s how I see the trade affecting things.

Jonas Valanciunas probably will remain around his current value. He’s a solid fantasy asset because he’s a double-double threat, but a lack of heavy minutes has him rostered in just 81% of leagues. 

Jordan Poole would take on more scoring, especially if Middleton doesn’t stick around. He’s already owned in every league, but he might be worth trading for if you think his fantasy value is going to rise. I don’t think it will be a big increase in value, but Poole should be a better asset than he currently is.

Malcolm Brogdon should also see his value increase a little bit, but I think he'll remain around 50% rostered all season. He’s a good deep-league option, and might be streamable in standard leagues here and there, but that’s probably his ceiling.

Bilal Coulibaly is a player I’d be adding if he was available in my league. He’s rostered in 66% of leagues, and should get a little increase in value with Kuzma out. If Middleton doesn’t play in Washington, Coulibaly has a chance for a bigger role and to be a keeper in standard leagues for the remainder of the season.

Corey Kispert isn’t owned in many leagues right now, but could get a little bump in his own percentage after the trade. Not having Middleton there would benefit him most.

Alexandre Sarr is another player I’d be adding. He’s already rostered in 62% of leagues, and that should rise in the next few days and weeks. Sarr has a clearer path to playing time, and should produce more with Kuzma gone.

Bub Carrington isn’t owned in many fantasy leagues, but if Middleton isn’t added to the roster, I think he could become a deep-league fantasy option.

Kyshawn George, Justin Champagnie, Jared Butler and Anthony Gill are a few other players to keep tabs on, but for just deep-league fantasy owners. Johnny Davis, Richaun Holmes and the newly-acquired Johnson could be other sneaky fantasy assets after the trade, so keep tabs on them too.