The Luka Doncic-Anthony Davis trade appears to have let loose a torrent of trade talk around the NBA, with some teams rushing to the table for fear of being left out and other potential deal partners hoping to meet divergent goals.

As of Tuesday afternoon, we’re hearing the Milwaukee–Washington deal is close, with the Bucks sending out Khris Middleton for Kyle Kuzma. While the Wizards are looking to clear the decks and make an even more concerted rebuilding effort, the Bucks see multiple benefits.

“Kuzma would be better there than he was in Washington,” said one league source. “He’d be a lot more locked in if he’s on the floor with Giannis. It’s hard when you’re on a team that’s not going anywhere. You can get a little sideways.

“The funny thing is, Kuzma’s been playing better the last couple of weeks since his name’s been in trade rumors. He’s been playing like the guy you know he can be. I’m not saying that’s a good thing, but that’s what it seems like.”

NBA Trade Rumor Mill on Full Tilt

Middleton, meanwhile, has been diminished defensively since his ankle surgeries.

“But the financial standpoint is probably the biggest thing,” said the source. “Kuzma gets them below the second apron and gives them a bunch more flexibility, especially this summer. They’d have the ability to go out and get somebody legit.”

Though Middleton’s salary is higher, his contract is a year shorter than Kuzma’s, with next season a player option.

Elsewhere, talks appear to be growing stronger with the Suns moving toward acquiring Jonas Valanciunas from Washington for Jusuf Nurkic and a first-round pick. There may be more moving parts involved if this is to get done, but it appears the Wizards are positioning themselves for this June’s draft.

“That’s another thing that’s interesting about this year,” said a front office person from another club. “So many teams are tanking because they want Cooper Flagg that they’re willing to do things they probably normally wouldn’t do.

“Cooper Flagg, man, that guy is a mother. It’s going to be a good draft beyond him, but when you realize that guy should still be a senior in high school, wow. Cooper Flagg’s going to be a generational-type guy.”

Doncic has been seen that way, picking up All-NBA First Team honors the past five years. Yet as he prepares to turn 26 later this month, his conditioning and commitment have raised questions.

Luka Doncic Deal: Strictly Basketball

Some around the league believe strongly that the Mavericks‘ new ownership had made it known that is was not going to be spending the extra funds for a Doncic supermax contract. But sources close to the team indicate this was a basketball move.

“This trade makes them a better team right now,” said one. “Davis is still a great player if you can keep him on the floor, and getting him for Luka makes them a much better defensive team now. They now have enough defense to really compete.

“The only thing is, with the difference in their ages (Davis is six years older), their window is smaller now. … But with Luka and his issues and all that, was it going to be open enough to win it all anyway? The Celtics really exposed them last year.”

Said another league exec critical of Doncic’s defense, “If you look at most superstars that have been successful, most of them play both ends of the floor — and you can’t really say that about Luka. Giannis, Tatum, Shai (Gilgeous-Alexander), LeBron… those guys are working on defense. And when it gets down to crunch time, they’re digging in even more.”

Steve Bulpett has covered the NBA since 1985, the first 35 of those years as beat writer/columnist for the Boston Herald. In that time, he has gained National Top 10 honors from the APSE as a columnist, beat reporter and features writer. Since 2014, he has served as a vice president of the Professional Basketball Writers Association. More about Steve Bulpett