Siegel's Scoop: Are Bucks a serious Jimmy Butler trade deadline suitor?
01/17/2025 11:43 AM
Less than three weeks stand between now and the Feb. 6 NBA trade deadline. A total of four trades have been made following the Phoenix Suns deal to acquire big man Nick Richards, yet the biggest rumors regarding the Suns and the NBA trade market as a whole revolve around Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler.
Whether or not Butler will be traded is the question everyone around the league has been asking for weeks. Still, there is no clarity about what exactly the Heat want to do.
On one hand, Pat Riley and the Heat’s front office have actively searched the market for a trade that makes sense. This has been met with Phoenix being the only hardcore trade suitor for Butler. However, the Suns’ only path to completing a trade with the Heat involves Bradley Beal, whom Miami holds zero interest in. There are also complications with getting Beal to waive his no-trade clause.
Do you see how this can get really messy in the blink of an eye?
Butler was given a seven-game suspension by the Heat amid all of the trade discourse due to what is being classified as “conduct detrimental to the team.” Well, that seven-game suspension has ended, and Butler is eligible to play in Friday night’s game against the Denver Nuggets. Will the Heat be getting the Jimmy Butler they’ve known for years, or will it be the version of the All-Star who was giving no effort before his suspension?
This has been such a messy breakup between Butler and the Heat, which is why it seems like the most plausible scenario that plays out is Miami waiting until the offseason to trade the star forward when he will be on an expiring $52 million contract. Of course, that is assuming he would opt into his $52.4 million player option, something he signaled he wouldn’t do when an official trade request was first submitted to Riley and the Heat.
If Butler wants his way and truly wants to go to Phoenix, then he will likely have to wait until the offseason unless something magical happens and a mysterious third team that Beal would waive his no-trade clause for raises their hand to take on the three-time All-Star and his contract from the Suns.
A decision to wait until the offseason has not necessarily been made by the Heat, though, and they have received interest from a few different teams that would make a trade for Butler right now. Among those teams is the Milwaukee Bucks, an organization that lurked in the shadows and ultimately ended up with Damian Lillard when he was thought to be on his way to the Heat in 2023.
Miami wouldn’t necessarily be inclined to make a deal with an Eastern Conference rival. But next to the Suns, this is really the only other scenario that makes sense before the NBA trade deadline, assuming the Golden State Warriors don’t change their tune on not seriously pursuing a deal.
The idea of pairing Butler with Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo puts the Bucks in a much better championship picture than they are currently in. At the same time, perhaps the most intriguing piece of intel linking Butler and Milwaukee is that the Bucks have not been informed by Butler’s camp that the Heat star isn’t interested in playing for them, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic.
This has been done by Butler’s camp for a few teams, one of which is the Memphis Grizzlies, league sources confirmed to ClutchPoints. NBA insider Chris Haynes also reported on the Grizzlies being told that Butler holds no interest in playing for them.
Amid rumors surrounding Butler and the Bucks possibly emerging as the main dark horse to land him in a trade deadline blockbuster, the one thing that everyone needs to be aware of is that Milwaukee is a second apron team.
To even make a deal for Butler possible, the Bucks would first need to move Pat Connaughton and his $9.4 million contract to a team like the Detroit Pistons, who would be able to absorb his salary with their cap space. Then, Milwaukee faces the issue of aggregating salaries to match Butler’s $48.7 million contract. This means a package of Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez, or Middleton, Bobby Portis, and another player, would need to be sacrificed in order to acquire Butler.
Would the Heat want Middleton, an aging player with numerous injury concerns through the years, as the centerpiece of a Butler trade? Aside from Miami’s opinion on what the Bucks have to offer, this is the only real scenario in which Milwaukee would be willing to move Middleton before this year’s trade deadline, sources said.
Everything about Butler and the Heat pertaining to the trade deadline is a massive ball of yarn full of knots. On top of all the drama, behind-the-scenes meetings, and ongoing trade discussions, Heat veteran Kevin Love is doing his own thing on Instagram and playing the role of instigator in the situation.
Love posted the famed “I’m not f***ing leaving” speech Leonardo DiCaprio gave while portraying Jordan Belfort in The Wolf of Wall Street with the caption, “LIVE LOOK – Jimmy after his meeting with Micky #getmyjoyback,” on Thursday afternoon.
View this post on Instagram
How DiCaprio didn’t win the Oscar that year for Best Male Actor is still beyond me…
Anyways, we have an “I’m okay with it if you’re okay with it” type of standoff in Miami now with Butler returning to the team even though both sides have already filed for a divorce. Hey, there are couples out there that get back together after initially calling for a divorce, so maybe Jimmy and the Heat will be next!
Probably not, but that’s why the next three weeks leading up to the trade deadline are so intriguing. Then again, the league paying attention to other situations outside of just the Jimmy Butler drama.
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Cam Johnson trade talks remain constant
After trading Dennis Schroder to the Golden State Warriors and then dealing Dorian Finney-Smith to the Los Angeles Lakers, the big questions about the Brooklyn Nets revolve around Cam Johnson. Out of any player in the league, Johnson is the one who has generated the most buzz leading up to the trade deadline.
While landing Schroder, the Warriors also attempted to swing a deal for Johnson to add another secondary scorer on the wing. With the Nets’ asking price exceeding first-round draft assets and young talent, Golden State backed off the pursuit of Johnson, who is turning 29 on March 3. The Lakers also expressed interest in Johnson this season, although there hasn’t been much traction between the two teams since their trade involving Finney-Smith.
Johnson commands a vast trade market, sources said, with several playoff-contending teams continuing to monitor his status. The Sacramento Kings, Indiana Pacers, Orlando Magic, and Memphis Grizzlies are still the most discussed teams connected to Johnson when speaking with league personnel. With this said, many are questioning if the Nets would be reluctant to negotiate with Memphis due to the Grizzlies’ attempt to undermine them during discussions for Finney-Smith.
The Magic are an obvious suitor for Johnson given their need for a floor spacer on the wing next to Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero. As a team, Orlando is shooting just 30.7 percent from three-point range, the worst percentage in the league. Johnson has shot 42.8 percent from deep this season and ranks 23rd in the league with 107 made threes.
As for the Pacers, they recently held brief trade discussions with the Nets regarding Johnson, sources said. If Indiana emerged as a top suitor for Johnson between now and the trade deadline, they would need to find a way to come up with close to $27 million in outgoing salaries to account for his apron salary due to incentive bonuses. The Pacers are just about $5 million from being over the first apron, and they are right at the tax line for this season.
Sacramento has checked in on Johnson’s status numerous times throughout the season, both before and after deciding to fire Mike Brown. The Kings continue to search the market for upgrades, using Kevin Huerter and Trey Lyles as their two main trade assets. It remains unlikely that the team would be willing to part ways with Keegan Murray or rookie guard Devin Carter, which could be a dealbreaker for Brooklyn regarding Johnson.
It would come as a surprise to many around the league if the Oklahoma City Thunder were to break up parts of their locker room to pursue Johnson. At the same time, the Thunder could easily land Johnson given their plethora of assets. No trade is going to be considered an overpay for Sam Presti and his front office since Oklahoma City owns the rights to a slew of first-round picks through 2031.
Although the Houston Rockets have also been mentioned in league circles as a possible destination for Johnson, this organization has made it clear they don’t want to sacrifice any parts of their young core unless trade discussions are centered around a star. Houston has proven that they are one of the better teams in the league this season, and they are prepared to target several star players in the offseason, which is why they will need their young assets.
Brooklyn would want 2024 first-round pick Reed Sheppard from the Rockets in a deal for Johnson. The Rockets do not intend on moving Sheppard or any of their emerging talents this season.
Some around the league have wondered if the Cleveland Cavaliers would give serious thought to the idea of pursuing Johnson in order to push for a championship this season. A move to do so would result in the Cavs likely needing to trade away Caris LeVert, a key secondary talent like Georges Niang, and possibly 2024 first-round pick Jaylon Tyson since they don’t have virtually any first-round draft picks to give up.
The idea of Cleveland leveraging LeVert has been met with hesitance around the league. Still, the belief is that the Cavs will make some sort of move to bolster their overall depth. Like Johnson, Jerami Grant continues to be a name associated with Cleveland if this organization were to swing for the fences before the deadline.
Even though the Nets continue to hold a strong market for Johnson, there are no indications pointing in the direction of them trading or keeping him. It truly appears to be 50-50 at this time, especially since he still has two more years left on his contract past this season. The Nets will seriously entertain any offers they get from any team for Johnson leading up to the trade deadline.
Could Blazers reshape Western Conference as trade deadline sellers?
The Western Conference as a whole is filled with drama. Whereas young, inexperienced teams reside at the top of the standings, it’s LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant — three proven champions — who continue to battle internal struggles with their organizations. Not to mention, the Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves both find themselves in the play-in region of the standings after facing off against one another in the 2024 Western Conference Finals.
Farther down the West standings, you’ll find the Portland Trail Blazers in a familiar spot since trading Lillard to the Bucks. The Blazers are rebuilding and aren’t in any shape to make a run during the second half of the season for a play-in tournament spot. So, does this mean they will be ultimate sellers at the trade deadline?
This is a big unknown right now, as many organizations are watching Portland to see if they will be true sellers over the next few weeks. Last season, Portland approached the deadline with caution and only made one move to add Dalano Banton. As they continue to develop and try to push forward, the Trail Blazers once again face questions about if they will sell for future assets or retain what is theirs.
At the very top of the trade deadline questionnaire list for the Blazers is the status of former Boston Celtics center Robert Williams III. Since joining the Trail Blazers, Williams has only played in 19 games due to a variety of injuries. He underwent surgery to repair a torn ligament in his right knee during the 2023-24 season and did not make his debut this year until November.
Since the offseason, Williams has generated a lot of trade buzz due to his ability to play above the rim in pick-and-roll scenarios, as well as be an All-Defensive type of center when he is healthy. All of the trade inquiries that Portland has received for their big man have been met with a level of hesitance, as Williams was a player the Blazers specifically wanted when negotiating a Jrue Holiday trade with the Celtics in 2023.
If the Blazers do look to move Williams at the trade deadline, they will not do so with the intention of dumping him for whatever assets they can get. Portland truly views the 27-year-old as a positive asset, and they would be more than comfortable keeping him on their roster through the end of the 2024-25 season as a mentor to rookie Donovan Clingan, sources said.
At some point, the Blazers will be forced to make some decisions in their frontcourt with Williams, Clingan, and former first-overall pick Deandre Ayton. Finding a balance at the center position will be key for this organization, which is why Ayton is starting to look like the odd man out in Portland and the player they would rather trade in their frontcourt, sources said.
This will most likely be a scenario that the Blazers explore in the offseason to try and find a suitor, as Ayton doesn’t hold much of a market right now.
Elsewhere on Portland’s roster, Anfernee Simons and Jerami Grant are two other discussed talents.
Set to turn 31 in March, Grant has seen his role decline drastically with the Blazers this season. After averaging 21.0 points per game on roughly 16 shot attempts per game last season, the veteran is averaging only 15.0 points per game on about 13 shot attempts this season. The Trail Blazers have focused on playing through their backcourt and utilizing Grant as a secondary scorer on the wing when he’s been healthy.
Although the organization still values what Grant brings to the table, many around the league have wondered if the Blazers would look to sell high on him while they can. However, the market for players 30 or older has not been kind to teams as of late, especially after seeing Schroder and Finney-Smith be traded for second-round assets.
Grant can be a very valuable talent for multiple playoff-contending teams around the league, which makes him another under-the-radar type of player to keep an eye on ahead of the trade deadline.
The possibility of Grant suddenly becoming the best player to be moved at the trade deadline is real, but Portland is a major question mark. If they make a move, it will come out of nowhere and develop over the course of a 24-48 hour period.
As far as Simons and his future with the Blazers, the organization is not opposed to hearing offers for the 25-year-old guard. Neither the Blazers nor Simons are actively seeking a trade, yet it does appear as if this team is beginning to give more opportunities to Scoot Henderson as the primary guard in their backcourt. What his value would look like on the trade market is unknown at this time.
The Blazers are a unique team in the West as far as shifting the balance of power goes. While they may not be in contention for anything other than a lottery pick, what the Trail Blazers decide to do as far as selling at the deadline will have a great impact on the rest of the conference.
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Western Conference buyers emerging
Several teams in the Western Conference are actively searching the market for upgrades before the trade deadline. Aside from the Warriors and Lakers continuing their respective searches, other teams like the Kings, Grizzlies, Dallas Mavericks, LA Clippers, and Denver Nuggets have been exploring the possibility of secondary additions, sources said.
Sacramento continues to be one of the more intriguing teams to follow ahead of the trade deadline, not only pertaining to their pursuit of Johnson but also as a team that could shift their focus to Grant, Kyle Kuzma, John Collins, or other bigger names available. Many anticipate the Kings pulling off a decent-sized move before the trade deadline by utilizing the contracts of Huerter and Lyles.
There have been multiple teams that have contacted the Kings about All-Star guard De’Aaron Fox, sources said. All of them have been met with a swift “no,” as Fox is not available whatsoever. Sacramento has no intention of letting Fox leave.
Disappointment is the best word that can describe the Mavs and Timberwolves this season after they faced off against one another in the Western Conference Finals last season.
While injuries have limited Dallas’ overall potential during the first half of the season, chemistry has been the issue for Minnesota ever since they traded Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks. The Mavs are currently 22-19, whereas the Wolves are 21-19 this season. Both teams reside in the play-in region of the standings.
Despite their tight cap situation, the Mavericks have been active in trade discussions, as general manager Nico Harrison has proven that he isn’t afraid to make aggressive moves to bolster his team’s chances of winning right now. Last season, Harrison went out and added PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford — two moves that ultimately helped Dallas make it to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2011 with Dirk Nowitzki.
Once again, Harrison and his staff have been searching the market for a key two-way wing, sources said. Maxi Kleber, Dwight Powell, Jaden Hardy, and Olivier-Maxence Prosper are the main assets the Mavs can utilize to explore possible upgrades at the trade deadline. As far as draft assets, Dallas has one second-round pick in 2025 to their name, and they can trade their 2025 first-round pick outright.
It would be a surprise if the Mavs moved either Gafford or Washington, and there’s been some pushback to the idea of them trading Quentin Grimes due to Luka Doncic’s and Kyrie Irving’s injury concerns. Then again, Gafford could be their path to an immediate upgrade on the wing.
If they were serious about trading away the center, there could be a path to Dallas pursuing Washington Wizards’ forward Kyle Kuzma, who the Mavs attempted to trade for last season.
One interesting name that has come up in conversations about the Mavs is Utah Jazz veteran guard Jordan Clarkson. The Jazz are open to dealing the former Sixth Man of the Year for future value, whether that be in the form of draft compensation or young talents with potential. John Collins and Collin Sexton are two other players the Jazz are open to moving ahead of the deadline as well for draft compensation.
Unlike the Mavericks, there is a much different philosophy that exists in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves are essentially married to the roster that they have constructed with no real wiggle room to make moves around the edges before the trade deadline.
Unless the Wolves were to move Jaden McDaniels or Julius Randle, it is hard to imagine that they could pull off any other trade. There hasn’t been any discussion about Randle or McDaniels being available in trade talks.
While Donte DiVincenzo is a player various playoff-contending teams have shown interest in throughout the year, the Timberwolves haven’t signaled that he’s available. At some point, Minnesota will need to make some moves because it’s clear that this team has regressed from where they were a season ago.
Expectations for the 2024-25 season have not been met to this point, which obviously leads to questions about what their future looks like. A lot more answers will be given when the ownership face-off between Glen Taylor and the new ownership group of Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez finally ends, but league personnel are quietly keeping an eye on Anthony Edwards and what Minnesota does to assure him that he’s their top priority.
It is clear that Edwards has been frustrated this season. Aside from being fined four different times for language and gestures directed toward officials, Edwards has called out his teammates multiple times to the media. He recently did so again after losing 109-108 to the Warriors.
"The starting five, we are terrible. Every game we come out low energy, and the second group comes in and gives us energy,” Edwards said after the loss. “I would say the starting group gotta come out with more energy like we want to play the game of basketball, like we love the game.”
Edwards won’t be traded now, nor will he be traded in the offseason. He is the face of the Timberwolves.
However, that has not stopped scouts and members of rival teams’ front offices from watching how things shape up and develop in Minnesota. This is certainly more of a storyline to monitor over the next year rather than a one-time headline.
The LA Clippers have flown under the radar all season. Nobody thought that this team would be as good as they are, yet the Clippers own the fifth-best record in the conference at 23-17. With both Norman Powell and James Harden having All-Star-like seasons and now that Kawhi Leonard is back from his knee ailments, the Clippers have a chance to be a dangerous team in a seven-game playoff series.
More importantly, Los Angeles still has room to further upgrade their roster by utilizing the contracts of PJ Tucker and Bones Hyland. This is the organization’s main priority at this time, and they are actively searching for frontcourt help, sources said. Robert Williams III and Chris Boucher are among multiple players that the Clippers have been monitoring.
Sexton was a player league sources told ClutchPoints that the Clippers held interest in, but it appears this franchise is making their frontcourt the main focus at the trade deadline.
Boucher is one of a few players the Toronto Raptors have dangled in trade discussions. The Raptors have made it known to teams that they are seeking second-round picks for the 32-year-old big man, sources said. Rival teams don’t see Boucher’s value exceeding a single second-round pick. The stretch big man is making $10.8 million in the final year of his contract and will be an unrestricted free agent in the summer.
Over his last five games, Boucher has averaged 14.0 points and 6.2 rebounds while shooting 67.5 percent from the floor and 62.5 percent from three-point range. Kelly Olynyk and Bruce Brown are two other notable players that Toronto is actively fielding calls for.
A few teams have checked in on Terance Mann’s availability with the Clippers, sources said. Mann, who recently returned from a fractured left middle finger, is still highly valued internally after signing his three-year, $47 million contract extension in October. He could wind up being a player the organization considers packaging in a bigger move to be made during the offseason.
As previously mentioned, the Nuggets are also engaged in the trade market despite being $5 million from the second apron and already $11.7 million into the tax this season.
Early talk of Denver possibly swapping Michael Porter Jr. for Chicago Bulls star Zach LaVine hasn’t turned into anything, and those discussions are no longer an option, multiple sources confirmed to ClutchPoints. Instead, the Nuggets seek to make a smaller move with Zeke Nnaji and his four-year contract, no pun intended.
This deal that Denver agreed to with the former 2020 first-round pick has really hampered them financially, and it’s one of the main reasons why they haven’t been able to retain talents like Bruce Brown and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope through the years.
Due to Christian Braun and Julian Strawther stepping up on the wing this season, the Nuggets would like to move Nnaji to bolster their depth behind Aaron Gordon and Nikola Jokic.
Along with having interest in Boucher, Denver is also interested in Wizards center Jonas Valanciunas, sources said. Many teams around the league have expressed interest in Valanciunas, including the Warriors and Lakers. Out of all the teams, the Lakers have been, and continue to be, the veteran center’s top destination. The Clippers have also been mentioned by multiple scouts as a possible suitor for Valanciunas in a buy-low spot behind Ivica Zubac.
Golden State is certainly the most intriguing team connected to Valanciunas due to their clear need for frontcourt help.
This is the main area of focus for the Warriors entering the final weeks leading up to the trade deadline, as Valanciunas is on a long list of potential frontcourt targets that includes Nikola Vucevic, Myles Turner, Olynyk, Boucher, Williams, and Collins, sources said. No matter what players the Warriors target, Golden State doesn’t have much desire to trade away first-round assets at this juncture.
Before he was traded to the Suns, Nick Richards was a player the Dubs had checked in on. Now that Richards is with the Suns, many wonder what Phoenix will do next.
Although Jimmy Butler is their priority, the idea of moving off Jusuf Nurkic’s contract and adding different talent, preferably on the wing, stands out for this organization. It doesn’t look like there is any market for the veteran center leading up to the deadline unless the Suns were willing to attach their 2031 first-round pick in a deal to trade him.
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