NBA Trade Rumors: 'Active' Bucks Open to Moving Khris Middleton, Portis, Connaughton

The Milwaukee Bucks are reportedly expected to make some big names available in an effort to land a major contributor before the Feb. 6 NBA trade deadline.

According to ESPN's Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst, Khris Middleton, Bobby Portis and Pat Connaughton are all believed to be available provided they can help the Bucks secure an "impact player" in a trade.

Bontemps and Windhorst noted that the Bucks face some potential challenges in making a deal happen since the only first-round pick they can trade is a 2031 selection, plus they have to shed about $6.5 million in salary to get under the second apron, which would allow them to combine player salaries in a subsequent trade.

At 25-17, the Bucks are fourth in the Eastern Conference, and although they are 10.5 games behind the first-place Cleveland Cavaliers and 4.5 games behind the second-place Boston Celtics, they have been a team on the rise.

Milwaukee has won five games in a row and eight of its past nine, all but erasing a nightmarish 2-8 start to the campaign.

Much of the Bucks' success has come on the backs of the superstar duo of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard.

Giannis is putting up MVP-caliber numbers with averages of 31.3 points, 12.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 1.4 blocks per game, while Lillard has been much improved during his second season in Milwaukee, putting up 25.1 points, 7.2 assists, 4.5 rebounds, 3.5 three-pointers made and 1.3 steals per contest.

Perhaps the biggest thing that could hold the Bucks back, though, is the fact that they don't necessarily have a reliable third offensive option.

Portis, Middleton and Brook Lopez are the only other players on the team averaging double figures in scoring, but none are contributing more than 13.4 points per game.

Middleton, Portis and Connaughton are all signed through the 2025-26 season, so while trading them would help in offloading some future salary, any team that acquires them won't be taking on a ton of long-term money.

Per Spotrac, Middleton has a 2024-25 salary of $31.666 million, while Portis is at $12.578 million and Connaughton is at $9.423 million.

Middleton, 33, is in the midst of his 12th season with the Bucks, and while he is a three-time All-Star who played a big role in their 2021 championship win, he hasn't been his usual self this season.

Coming off double ankle surgery, Middleton missed the start of the season and has been on a minutes restriction, resulting in him averaging just 12.6 points per game, which is his lowest scoring output since 2013-14.

The 29-year-old Portis is in his fifth season with the Bucks, and he too was an important contributor to their most recent championship.

Unlike Middleton, Portis' production this season has pretty much been in line with what he has always done for the team, as he is averaging 13.4 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.0 assists per contest.

Given that he costs significantly less than Middleton and would provide excellent frontcourt depth at 6'10", he may be the Bucks' most coveted trade chip.

Connaughton, 32, is a seventh-year Buck who has seen his usage drop significantly this season.

After averaging at least 20 minutes per game in four straight years, Connaughton is playing only 15.7 minutes per game this season, which is his lowest average time on court since his second NBA season with the Portland Trail Blazers in 2016-17.

Connaughton is putting up just 4.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game, while shooting only 40.4 percent from the field and 28.8 percent from deep.

He would likely be little more than a salary dump to make things match up, although it is fair to wonder if any team would want to take on his salary for next season.

Middleton, Portis and Connaughton all have player options for next season, so they could technically become free agents at the end of the year, but it seems likely that Middleton and Connaughton would opt in since it would be tough for them to approach their current salaries in free agency.

The Bucks have some obstacles to get past in order to add a third star, but if they can make it happen, a core of Antetokounmpo, Lillard and another star would make them a major threat to compete with the likes of the Cavs, Celtics and New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference.