NBA trade prompts Next Stars reunion

Thursday, February 6, 2025

The two Next Stars who were picked in the first round in the 2024 NBA Draft, will play together in Washington DC.

According to Shams Charania of ESPN, the Washington Wizards have traded Kyle Kuzma, Patrick Baldwin Jr., and second-round draft compensation to the Milwaukee Bucks for Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, and a pick swap.

AJ Johnson, a Next Star with the Illawarra Hawks in NBL24 and the #20 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, will then reunite with Alex Sarr, the #2 pick in the last Draft out of the Perth Wildcats.

In 15 games with the Wisconsin Herd, the Bucks’ G League affiliate, Johnson has averaged 13.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 3.5 assists while shooting 43.5% from the field and 42.6% from behind the three-point line.

Johnson just turned 20 years old on December 1, so he still has plenty of time to continue his development, and now, the Wizards will have infinitely more opportunities for him than the Bucks did. All rookies on the Wizards have had consistent playing time since the start of the season, while the Bucks have privileged veterans in a push to content for the NBA title with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard.

Alex Sarr, who will be representing the Wizards in the Rising Stars at the upcoming NBA All-Star Weekend, has been playing tremendously for a couple months and was awarded Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month honours in December.