The Milwaukee Bucks were engaged in hopeless trade last season, but were sent home in the first round of the 2025 NBA playoffs.
On a large four-team contract, the Milwaukee Bucks parted ways with Fris Middleton and AJ Johnson on a deal centered around Kyle Kuzma.
While most people focus on the Bucks from Middleton, it appears the organization may have lost an underrated player at Johnson.
The Washington Wizards recently won the Utah Jazz in the 2025 NBA Summer League. The wizard suffered a loss of 86-76, but that wasn’t for Johnson.
If anything, Johnson had the most influence on the game because of the Wizard. To be precise, the 20-year-old finished the night with a game-high 25 points.
He did so by shooting 10/16 from the field, including two five displays from the 3-point line. Additionally, Johnson also had five rebounds and three assists in his name.
Certainly, this is a summer league, but Johnson shows early signs of a breakup after the Bucks gave up after a half season of the rookie year.
After starting his career with the Los Angeles Lakers, Kyle Kuzma traded with Wizard in 2021. Since then, Kuzma has become a top scorer for the team despite not playing postseason basketball.
Considering he was 29 when the Bucks traded with him, it felt like the team would improve. After all, adding a former NBA champion who is at the height of his career is a decent move.
Unfortunately, Kuzma’s stint with the Bucks is a very disappointing thing. He averaged 14.5 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game in the regular season.
But the real punch in the gut was Kuzma’s terrible performance in the 2025 NBA playoffs. The 29-year-old has just 5.8 points, 2.2 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game in five contests.
He also shot a terrible 34.3% from the field and 20.0% from the deep. As a result, it’s no surprise that Bucks fans are hoping to say goodbye to their team to Kuzma soon.
Now, when Johnson escapes with the Wizard, it only makes the trade worse for the Bucks’ appearance.