Mar 20, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton (22) pumps his fist after hitting a basket against the Boston Celtics during the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images If the week leading up to the NBA trade deadline has taught us anything, it’s that no player is safe.
Teams won’t be able to wheel and deal after 3 p.m. ET on Thursday, but the landscape of the league has already changed significantly. The Dallas Mavericks sent Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis as part of a blockbuster deal that sent the sports world into a frenzy, while the San Antonio Spurs made a splash by acquiring De’Aaron Fox from the Sacramento Kings.
Sacramento didn’t walk away empty-handed, though, as the Chicago Bulls were also involved in the trade between the Spurs and Kings and sent the latter Zach LaVine.
Here are three more players who could surprisingly be on the move:
Khris Middleton, Milwaukee Bucks
Once upon a time, Middleton was untouchable. He earned three All-Star selections (2019, 2020, 2022) in a span of four seasons and, along with Giannis Antetokounmpo, brought a championship to Milwaukee in 2021.
Antetokounmpo and Middleton were Batman and Robin, and the rest of the Bucks’ pieces fell into place around that duo.
However, Damian Lillard is now in town as Antetokounmpo’s right-hand man, while injuries have derailed Middleton’s career over the past three seasons. The 33-year-old has only played in 111 games (81 starts) since the beginning of the 2022-23 campaign.
Milwaukee is just wading around the .500 mark at 26-22, and perhaps moving on from Middleton results in the fresh faces needed to be more consistent. Middleton has raised his trade value by going for at least 20 points in three of his past four games.
Anfernee Simons, Portland Trail Blazers
Jan 4, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Anfernee Simons (1) takes a shot against Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton (22) in he second quarter at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images Surprise!
The Trail Blazers are legitimately one of the hottest teams in the league right now.
Portland is 8-1 over its past nine games, a stretch that has the Blazers just 4 1/2 games removed from a play-in tournament spot in the Western Conference.
Had Portland been deep in the basement of the West at this point of the season, we may have seen a fire sale from the Trail Blazers. But now it looks like they might actually have something with their collection of young talent.
Although Portland won’t be making any title runs just yet, it has a solid foundation, one that Simons helped build. Still only 25, Simons is averaging 18.2 points and 4.8 assists per game this season.
Only time will tell if the Blazers have faith in Simons or if they believe a potential return for him can do wonders for their bright future.
Jonathan Kuminga, Golden State Warriors
Jan 4, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga (00) dribbles up court in front of Memphis Grizzlies guard Scotty Pippen Jr. (1) in the second quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images Kuminga, 22, continues to get better and better by the season, so it would be shocking if Golden State sends him elsewhere. Don’t rule it out, though, especially if the price is right.
Franchise cornerstones Stephen Curry and Draymond Green aren’t getting any younger. A deal involving Kuminga suddenly doesn’t seem so crazy. Kuminga isn’t going to be able to single-handedly turn the Warriors into legitimate contenders, so maybe Golden State exchanges him for draft capital that will someday translate to deep playoff runs and hopefully some hardware.
If someone does go out and get a deal done for Kuminga, they will have to wait to use him, as he hasn’t played since Jan. 4 due to a sprained right ankle.
