Though the trade the Bucks made centering on exchanging Khris Middleton for Kyle Kuzma at February’s deadline didn’t result in much for the team on-court, it gave them some needed flexibility for this offseason by dropping them under the second apron above the luxury tax. But there’s a less focused-on aspect of the move that could come in handy this summer too: the deal created a trade exception of $7,210,606, which amounts to the difference in salary between the two players last season. Alongside their midlevel and biannual exceptions, it’s another tool for GM Jon Horst to bring in new talent to the Bucks without needing to shed salary while doing so.
12 players the Bucks could acquire with their trade exception this offseason
