The Bucks most important deadline addition might not be Kyle Kuzma

Milwaukee Bucks fans were distraught when the team traded longtime franchise cornerstone Khris Middleton to the Washington Wizards, sulking in the nostalgia on Reddit. Yet, winning cures all, and the new-look group has meshed nicely. But what if we told you it's not because of the return package they received for the veteran swingman?

The new-look Bucks have come out of the All-Star break with a vengeance. They've won each of their first three games to kick off the stretch run of the 2024-25 NBA campaign. Milwaukee's trade deadline acquisitions have made immediate impacts, specifically veteran combo guard Kevin Porter Jr., not Kyle Kuzma.

Porter quickly settled into his new home after getting sent from the Los Angeles Clippers to the Bucks in exchange for third-yeard wing MarJon Beauchamp. He fueled Milwaukee's emphatic fourth-quarter comeback win against the Miami Heat.

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The Bucks' most important deadline addition might be Kevin Porter Jr., not Kyle Kuzma

Porter scored/assisted on 12 of Milwaukee's 35 points in the final frame of their 120-113 victory over the Heat, including a personal 7-0 run. And somehow, in five contests with the Bucks, it's not the first time he's taken over in crunch time for them. His efforts in the late stages of the club's prior contest against Washington also swung the pendulum in their favor.

Kuzma's defensive contributions have been noteworthy, though turnovers and inefficient shooting have followed him from Washington to Milwaukee thus far. Meanwhile, Porter has been a key addition to the Bucks' second unit, especially with veteran sixth man Bobby Portis facing a 25-game suspension.

Excluding his Bucks debut, when he logged roughly 10 minutes, Porter has reached double-figures in scoring in four straight contests. But he's not only creating shots for himself; he's setting up his teammates, giving Milwaukee a much-needed table-setter off the bench.

Moreover, Porter has developed a reputation as a solid stopper. The 24-year-old boasts a stellar 103.4 defensive rating in a small sample size with Milwaukee. For context, that'd rank second in the league from a season-long perspective, trailing only Isaiah Joe of the Oklahoma City Thunder. His two-way contributions have been vital for the Bucks, and it wouldn't be shocking to see him get more playing time following an impressive start.