Amid reports that the Miami Heat are looking to trade star forward Jimmy Butler as soon as possible, the Milwaukee Bucks have been listed among the teams considering such a move.
On the surface, the rational is clear. The Bucks are currently hovering right above .500 at 17-16. After a feel good win streak from Nov. 18 to Dec. 3 that helped them quell concerns about their personnel, Milwaukee’s taken a step back. They’re 6-7 since that seven-game stretch and 1-4 in their last five games.
Jimmy Butler Trade Would Be Right Move For Bucks
If the Bucks want to reach the NBA Finals again, they’re moving in the wrong direction. A trade for Butler, one of the more complete players, might allow them to correct their course. He’s drastically improve their defense and give them another go-to option offensively. As of right now, two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo is their only player capable of doing both.
Butler’s injury history won’t make him more reliable in term of availability. However, he’s a better fit for their current needs.
Getting Below The Second Apron
As Milwaukee is $6.5 million above the second apron, they would likely have to get below it to make the Butler trade. This shouldn’t be too hard if they’re motivated enough.
One option is sending Pat Connaughton and his $9.4 million contract to a team that can absorb him into their cap space (Detroit Pistons) or a trade exception. These types of transactions often require the team trying to shed salary to include second-round picks in the package. The Bucks have just one second-round pick through 2031 but that may be enough.
Another option would be to trade young players —say MarJon Beauchamp, Chris Livingston, and AJ Johnson —in a series of smaller deals. Due to their affordability and potential, Milwaukee might even be the team receiving draft capital.
After that, the Bucks just have to see whether the Heat prefer the combination of Khris Middleton and Bobby Portis or to swap Butler for Damian Lillard. In either scenario, Milwaukee gets better.
The Middleton-Portis Package
If the Heat prefer a package with Middleton and Portis, they’ll still have to add a couple of smaller contracts to make salaries match. As a result, they would probably prefer to move Connaughton in this situation. Nonetheless, this is a swap that allowed the Bucks to enhance their perimeter defense. Middleton, when healthy, and Portis are fine offensive players.
What they lack is the ability to lockdown their opponents at the other end.
Khris Middleton on ball defense in the year 2025
pic.twitter.com/adV8mTZrGa
— Tony Clements (@TonyCMKE) January 5, 2025
Admittedly though, that’s what makes this awkward for Miami. Because they rank 21st in points per game (111.1), they could definitely use help at the offensive end. However, the Heat have built a reputation as a defensive-minded team.
The Damian Lillard Package
With that being said, Miami would likely prefer to acquire Lillard.
Not only is he likely the best player the Bucks would make available, they only have to be concerned about one player’s defense, rather than at least two. Furthermore, the Heat have been heavily reliant on Tyler Herro, who could use more help in the backcourt. To that point, Lillard is among the best scorers in the league, not just his position. However, he appears to be more efficient when he’s sharing the backcourt with a volume scorer.
In Miami, he’d scratch Herro’s back and Herro would scratch his.
Notably, Milwaukee would probably be left without a sure starter at point guard. Yet, Ryan Rollins’s play earlier this season breeds confidence in his ability to take over that role. Additionally, the Bucks were able to win their last championship without a traditional point guard because Antetokounmpo is a high-level playmaker. Thus, this isn’t necessarily a concern.
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