The Milwaukee Bucks made major changes to their roster at the NBA trade deadline. Franchise icon Khris Middleton left the team after 12 seasons and a championship, as he was traded to the Washington Wizards for Kyle Kuzma and Patrick Baldwin Jr. Another minor addition was scoring guard Kevin Porter Jr. in exchange for MarJon Beauchamp with the Los Angeles Clippers. They also added Jericho Sims from the New York Knicks for Delon Wright.
The championship core around Giannis Antetokounmpo seemed to have stagnated at the start of the year. But after three straight months of solid performances, the Bucks have given Giannis and Damian Lillard reinforcements to try and win another title. Middleton’s injuries meant he couldn’t produce at the same level as before, so adding Kuzma might lead to better results.
Let’s take a look at their updated depth chart after the 2025 trade deadline.
Starters
Damian Lillard, Andre Jackson Jr., Kyle Kuzma, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Brook Lopez
The Bucks will field an incredibly potent starting five promising to help the Bucks return to being defensive pests while adding the versatile Kuzma to the roster. He was averaging 15.2 points and 5.8 rebounds with the Wizards this season in a bad year but was a 20-point scorer last season. He’s shown he can be a complete two-way forward with scoring ability, aggressive rebounding, and lockdown defense. However, we rarely saw that in the last four seasons.
If the Bucks’ bet on Kuzma being motivated to play winning basketball as a helping guy behind two stars works out, this team could make noise in the East. Damian Lillard has had a comeback season after faltering in his first year with the Bucks, as his chemistry with Giannis and greatly improved this season. Giannis is performing at an MVP level on both ends, although he has been overly relied upon and Kuzma can help reduce it.
Andre Jackson Jr. is the Bucks’ default POA defender, earning a starting spot this season with lockdown defense and athleticism. Brook Lopez is the ever-reliable center in the middle, although his defensive efficiency has plummeted this season.
Kuzma can help reduce the load on Giannis in the frontcourt, potentially allowing Giannis to play more possessions at center where he doesn’t have to expend as much energy. The Bucks will hope he can replicate some of his offensive success from Washington in Milwaukee, otherwise, Lillard might get overburdened as well.
You don’t get rid of a franchise legend like Khris Middleton for a run-of-the-mill role-player, so Kuzma has to prove he can still be a championship contributor to curry any favor from the diehard Bucks fans.
Reserves
Bobby Portis Jr., Gary Trent Jr., Kevin Porter Jr., AJ Green, Taurean Prince, Jericho Sims, Pat Connaughton, Patrick Baldwin Jr., Tyler Smith, Chris Livingston, Ryan Rollins (Two-Way), Liam Robbins (Two-Way), Stanley Umude (Two-Way)
The Bucks have an interesting set of options on their bench who will be relied upon to be two-way contributors.
Kevin Porter Jr. is their latest addition and is the only backup guard on the roster. He’s averaging 9.3 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 3.2 assists this season, returning to the NBA after a season away with the Clippers. He is versatile enough to have a multi-faceted impact on the court but we’re yet to see him have enough consistency to be a high-level contributor.
They’re overloaded on swingman depth, which could impact Andre Jackson’s position as the starting two-guard. The Bucks have veteran options like Gary Trent Jr. or the anti-thesis of Jackson in one-way scorer AJ Green. Even Pat Connaughton could fill minutes in that role after not getting traded before the deadline despite rumors.
Taurean Prince has been an ever-dependable small forward who has started a majority of the season due to Middleton’s injuries. While he’ll return to the bench with Kuzma, his 3-and-D play style will see him continue to get sizable rotational minutes. Patrick Baldwin Jr. is another forward but his production will depend on if he can impress Doc Rivers enough to get a role, although he can be a talented scorer.
Jericho Sims and Bobby Portis Jr. will fill out the frontcourt reserves, with both able to play at center or power forward. Sims is an explosive rim finisher while Portis is a competent shooter, with both being solid rebounders.
Tyler Smith and Chris Livingston are potential future contributors, but they likely won’t be playing winning minutes this season.
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