According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the Milwaukee Bucks have rival teams wondering if a Jimmy Butler bid is forthcoming.
Butler has requested a trade from the Miami Heat.
“Who else besides Phoenix could emerge as a potential trade suitor for Jimmy Butler? Milwaukee, at the very least, has rival teams wondering if a Butler bid is forthcoming,” Stein wrote.
Butler is averaging 17.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.4 blocks this season while shooting 54.0% from the field, 36.1% from beyond the arc and 80.1% from the free-throw line.
Butler is making $48.8 million this season. He has a player option worth $52.4 million for next season.
Butler has played for the Chicago Bulls, Minnesota Timberwolves, Philadelphia 76ers and Heat. He has career averages of 18.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.6 steals and 0.4 blocks.
Butler joined the Heat in 2019. He has guided the franchise to the NBA Finals twice.
The Bulls, Timberwolves and Sixers traded Butler.
It won’t be long until the Heat do the same.
The NBA trade deadline is February 6.
According to NBA insiders Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst of ESPN, the Bucks are open to trading veterans Khris Middleton, Bobby Portis and Pat Connaughton.
“The Bucks have been active this trade season, sources said, with Khris Middleton, Bobby Portis and Pat Connaughton all expected to be available in potential moves to bring back an impact player,” Bontemps and Windhorst wrote in their NBA column. “Like Phoenix did, the Bucks have only their 2031 first-round pick to trade, but they also need to shed around $6.5 million in a deal to get below the second apron to be able to combine players in a trade.
“As the Bucks have shown going back to when they made the Damian Lillard trade last year, they are determined to maximize every bit of Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s title window. And, with Antetokounmpo playing at an MVP level again this season, Milwaukee is hoping it can make upgrades over the next couple of weeks to challenge the Cavaliers, Celtics and Knicks atop the conference — against whom the Bucks are 0-8 this season.”
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