How New Bucks Wing Can Unlock Milwaukee’s Offense

The Milwaukee Bucks made a bold, franchise-altering move at the trade deadline, swapping out Khris Middleton for Kyle Kuzma as the centerpiece of the deal. They didn’t just trade away a former All-Star and key championship piece—they also mucked up their spacing in the process.

The modern NBA is built around three-point shooting. Everyone wants more spacing, more threes, more ways to stretch a defense. It’s how offenses function at a high level. And for Milwaukee, spacing isn’t just important—it’s essential.

Giannis Antetokounmpo is an unstoppable force, a one-man wrecking crew capable of slicing through defenders with a combination of length, strength, and skill that might be unmatched in NBA history.

But even he has limits. Stack the paint, throw extra bodies at him, and suddenly, even a freight train like Giannis can slow down.

That’s where shooting comes in.

Historically, the Bucks have surrounded Giannis with snipers, daring defenses to collapse and punishing them when they do. But the Kuzma trade suggests a break from that strategy.

Milwaukee just moved Middleton and his career 39 percent three-point percentage for Kuzma and his career 33.4 percentage mark from deep—a number that’s only gotten worse this season (28.4 percent from three).

On paper, this is a problem.

Kuzma is now in the starting lineup next to Giannis, Brook Lopez, Taurean Prince, and Damian Lillard. That’s a whole lot of size, but not a whole lot of shooting. It has the potential to jam up driving lanes for Antetokounmmpo and Lillard, leaving Milwaukee with an offensive traffic jam in the paint.

But there’s more than one way to create spacing.

That’s where Kuzma’s cutting can come into play.

Kuzma has flashed the ability to be an effective off-ball slasher, moving without the ball or attacking immediately on a swing pass.

https://x.com/BucksFilmRoom/status/1894037360167223360

Lillard is commanding the attention of the defense, working a two-man game with Jericho Sims near the top of the key. The rest of the Bucks are spread out along the arc, trying to pull defenders away from the paint.

Lillard finally shakes free, driving toward the left wing with Kuzma in the left corner. Kuzma’s defender steps up, leaving him open to stop Lillard’s penetration.

This is Kuzma’s moment.

Instead of waiting for the ball, he anticipates the pass and catches it in a split stance, already attacking the hoop. His defender is left in the dust, and Kuzma throws down an uncontested two-handed jam.

More of this, please.

Most of the time, Kuzma is content to hang around the three-point line while Antetokounmpo and Lillard work. But defenders are paying half attention to him at best. Their heads turn. They ball-watch.

That should be Kuzma’s cue to strike.

He needs to cut hard, slash aggressively, and punish defenders for ignoring him. If he does, he’ll force the defense to respect him, which in turn creates easier looks for everyone else.

And let’s be clear—this isn’t Washington anymore. Kuzma is the clear third option in Milwaukee. He’s not getting 20 shots a night or being asked to run the offense. His best path to success isn’t more isolation plays—it’s movement.

The Bucks don’t need another ball-dominant player when their two stars are on the court. What they do need is off-ball movement, better spacing, and quick decision-making to keep the offense unpredictable and force defenses to guard all five players, not just two.

Kuzma has the tools. He’s shown glimpses. Now he needs to fully buy in.

If Kuzma embraces cutting, slashing, and moving without the ball, he can unlock a new level for Milwaukee’s offense. And if the Bucks want to make a real run at the title, they need him to do exactly that.