The Bucks’ rough opening has Kyle Kuzma looking more like a trade chip than a pillar.
Milwaukee sits at 1-4 after Wednesday’s 132-100 loss to the Houston Rockets, and Kuzma’s night was part of the mess. He finished with four points, six rebounds and one assist, going 2-of-6 from the field in 18 minutes. It was his lowest-scoring outing of the season, and it only sharpened the questions around where he fits on this roster.
Five games into the year, Kuzma is averaging 10.8 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.8 assists while shooting 45.8% from the field and 35.0% from three. The rebounding has held up.
The scoring hasn’t. That’s a steep drop from the 22.2 points per game he put up for the Washington Wizards in 2023-24.
At 31, Kuzma doesn’t line up with where Milwaukee is headed. Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware and Jaime Jaquez Jr. are taking on bigger roles, and Kuzma is on an expiring deal worth about $20.5 million. That combination makes him a natural name to watch as the trade deadline approaches.
The idea of moving him isn’t new, either. Jake Fischer reported in the offseason that the Bucks were exploring deals for both Kuzma and Myles Turner. After the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade pushed the franchise into a different lane, flipping Kuzma for a younger player and draft help starts to make obvious sense.
Chicago is one team that could enter the picture.
A possible framework would send Kyle Kuzma to the Bulls in exchange for Patrick Williams and 2029 and 2031 second-round picks.
It’s a believable setup because Williams has not played this season and already looks like one of Chicago’s clearer trade candidates. The Bulls are also 1-4 and near the bottom of the Eastern Conference. On Wednesday against the New York Knicks, they wasted a 19-point second-half lead and lost 133-127 despite Jalen Brunson’s 38 points.
There are still some encouraging pieces in Chicago. Rookie Caleb Wilson is averaging 20.8 points and 7.0 rebounds, while Matas Buzelis is putting up 14.6 points per game. Both are young forwards the Bulls want to keep developing.
That leaves Williams in a tough spot. He hasn’t appeared in a game this season after falling out of the rotation and then suffering a right adductor injury. Even when he gets healthy, minutes are not guaranteed with younger options ahead of him.
His 2024-25 season was underwhelming as well. Williams averaged 7.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 20.5 minutes per game, shooting 37.2% from the field and 34.7% from deep. For a former No. 4 overall pick, that return hasn’t matched the draft slot.
For Chicago, Kuzma would bring a forward with more proven shot-making ability, someone who can create his own offense, punish mismatches and chip in on the boards. He’s shown he can score at a 20-point level when the opportunity is there, even if expecting that version again would be asking a lot.
The financial angle matters just as much. Williams is on a deal worth $18.0 million this season, with $18.0 million guaranteed next year and an $18.0 million player option for the season after that. Kuzma’s contract expires after this year, so the Bulls would be swapping a longer commitment for a veteran they could either keep temporarily or let go next summer.
From Milwaukee’s side, Williams would be a bet on upside. He’s only 25, and a rebuilding team can afford to give him runway without obsessing over every box score. The two second-round picks would also help balance out the Bucks taking on his longer deal.
The wider picture in Milwaukee is pretty clear. Last season ended at 32-50, the Bucks missed the playoffs, and the trade of Giannis and Bobby Portis to Miami brought back Herro, Jaquez, Ware, Kasparas Jakucionis, a high draft pick in Nate Ament and multiple future first-rounders. That move reset the franchise, and the roster now reflects it.
Herro is leading the team with 23.4 points per game while shooting 50.0% from the field and 47.2% from three. Jaquez is adding 17.8 points and 7.2 rebounds, and Ware is averaging 11.8 points. Those are the players Milwaukee needs to center going forward, not Kuzma.
He hasn’t been a total zero, either. He scored 14 points with 12 rebounds against the Philadelphia 76ers and then had 17 points against the Indiana Pacers. But keeping him doesn’t really change the direction of the team.
The Bucks are allowing 124.2 points per game, which ranks 28th in the league, and Wednesday’s blowout loss underlined how far they are from contention. Kuzma will also be an unrestricted free agent in 2027, so holding onto him carries the risk of losing him for nothing after the season. For a rebuilding team, handing out another long deal to a player in his 30s doesn’t line up.
There’s also the wrinkle that Milwaukee has already dealt with league attention after Gary Trent Jr.’s new contract was investigated.
Moving Kuzma now would at least bring back something tangible. The Bucks no longer have the future first-rounders that were moved in the Jrue Holiday and Damian Lillard deals, but the Antetokounmpo trade helped replenish the stash. A young player and a pair of second-rounders would give the front office more flexibility.
Williams could still fail to bounce back, which would leave Milwaukee with a salary on the books. But the alternative is sticking with Kuzma, using him heavily, and watching him leave for nothing next summer.
Milwaukee is 1-4, the defense is leaking points, and the young core needs room to grow. Kuzma can still help a team trying to win now. The Bucks just don’t look like that team anymore.
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