The 5-team Jimmy Butler trade involving Lakers that Bucks must consider
Yesterday at 11:58 AM
Where will Jimmy Butler end up? This is the question that everyone around the NBA is asking ahead of the trade deadline with Butler’s time as a member of the Miami Heat coming to an end.
The Heat are pressed to decide on Butler’s future quickly, yet the All-Star does have a little bit of pull in these discussions given that he can opt out of his $52.4 million player option to become an unrestricted free agent in the offseason. Although very few teams would be willing to take this type of risk on Butler knowing that he could only be a 3-month rental, the Milwaukee Bucks are an interesting team to consider as a trade suitor.
After recently claiming the NBA Cup championship in December, the Bucks have once again hit a rough patch and are just 18-16 on the season. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard can only do so much for this team, as the level of doubt surrounding Khris Middleton and his overall status, both health- and production-wise, looms large.
While Milwaukee’s goal is to win another championship this season, the trajectory of this team continues to trend in an uncertain direction. The potential addition of Butler next to Lillard and Antetokounmpo is very intriguing, especially since he would drastically improve the Bucks’ middle-of-the-pack defense.
The Bucks need some sort of change between now and the trade deadline on Feb. 6, so could they be the ultimate dark-horse landing spot for Butler? After all, Butler was linked to the Bucks as a team having ongoing discussions about a potential trade by John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM in Phoenix.
A scenario where Miami could send Butler to Milwaukee is extremely complicated, as the Bucks are a second-apron team and they’re unable to aggregate salaries as a result. However, there is a path to the Bucks acquiring the six-time All-Star wing and effectively move out of the second apron altogether.
Here is how it can happen.
The complications of Bucks pursuing Jimmy Butler
Milwaukee Bucks receive: F Jimmy Butler, G Gabe Vincent, F Simone Fontecchio, F/C Kevin Love, MIA 2030 1st round pick (swap, least favorable of MIL/MIA/POR)
Miami Heat receive: F Khris Middleton, F/C Bobby Portis, F Jarred Vanderbilt, MIL 2030 1st round pick (swap, least favorable of POR/MIL, more favorable of remaining pick)
Los Angeles Lakers receive: C Brook Lopez
Detroit Pistons receive: G Pat Connaughton, F MarJon Beauchamp, LAC 2025 2nd round pick (via LAL), MIL 2031 2nd round pick
Washington Wizards receive: G Jalen Hood-Schifino, G Josh Richardson, LAL 2025 2nd round pick
A lot of math goes into figuring out how the Bucks would even make a trade for Butler possible. As things currently stand, Milwaukee is about $6.5 million above the second tax apron, meaning they can’t aggregate salaries in a trade to acquire a player like Butler.
However, the Bucks are allowed to combine salaries in a trade to move below the second apron, allowing them to then pursue a realistic deal for a player like Butler making $48.7 million. The magic number for the Bucks is $55.2 million — a number that represents how much Butler costs in terms of his cap hit and to move below the second apron.
Before diving into the logistics and financial ramifications of such a trade for the Bucks, we must consider what they will need to give up to pursue Butler. Even though he requested a trade from the Heat, Pat Riley and Miami’s front office will do what is in the best interest of the franchise before sending the All-Star to one of his preferred destinations.
The Bucks, while not pretty, can put together a package consisting of Khris Middleton, Bobby Portis, Pat Connaughton, and MarJon Beauchamp. They can also attach limited draft assets, which they did in the form of a 2030 first-round swap with Miami. There is a small stipulation that comes with this swap, as the Portland Trail Blazers already own the rights to swap with the Bucks in 2030, meaning that Milwaukee can send the Heat a swap of the best picks between whichever they get from the Blazers and Miami’s.
Of course, the Heat aren’t going to want to take on four salaries, which is where other teams get involved. Connaughton and Beauchamp can go to the Pistons, who are willing to take on salary at the trade deadline for draft picks. Detroit also snags two second-round picks. In exchange for these assets, the Pistons would send sharpshooter Simone Fontecchio to the Bucks, who Detroit acquired at the trade deadline last season for a second-round pick.
The addition of Butler, along with Kevin Love and Fontecchio, is a step in the right direction for the Bucks to revamp their roster and make a serious playoff push. At the same time, this is just part one of the massive trade, as the Bucks still have some things they would need to accomplish to fulfill this trade and move out of the second apron. That is where the Los Angeles Lakers can come in handy.
It is no secret to anyone that the Lakers want frontcourt help, and Brook Lopez is a veteran in the final year of his contract that Los Angeles could utilize next to Anthony Davis to maximize their championship pursuit. Milwaukee, by no means, wants to part ways with Lopez right now, but pursuing Butler would mean massive changes like the big man departing. By trading Lopez, the Bucks can dip below the second apron and still bring in another talented player like Gabe Vincent, who was teammates with Butler during the Heat’s NBA Finals run in 2023.
All of a sudden, the Bucks have flipped Middleton, Portis, Connaughton, Beauchamp, Lopez, and some draft assets for Butler, Love, Vincent, and Fontecchio. While a large chunk of their core group around Dame and Giannis are gone, the Bucks can fortify their starting unit with Butler and add key secondary players to make a real championship run.
By making this trade, the Bucks free up $8 million in salaries, which moves them roughly $1.5 million below the second apron. This team’s tax bill decreases, and Milwaukee potentially sees Butler’s $50 million walk in free agency, allowing general manager Jon Horst to get creative and surround his two superstars with key talents in the offseason.
Is this something the other teams involved would even do? Can the Bucks truly make this trade possible?
Why Lakers, Heat, Pistons, Wizards are involved
Before even factoring the Lakers, Pistons, and Wizards, there needs to be a real conversation about expectation vs. reality for the Heat.
The expectation in any trade involving Butler is that the Heat should be able to receive a lot of assets for who many would argue is a top-15, top-20 player in the NBA. When he plays, Butler is still a very impactful two-way player who has proven the ability to lead Miami to the NBA Finals two separate times. It isn’t cheap to go out and trade for a player of his caliber.
Now comes the reality of the situation — the fact that Butler holds zero value right now because everyone knows he wants out and the Heat want to trade him. Riley and this organization would be lucky just to get one first-round pick in a deal for Butler, and they are simply going to receive players who can keep them afloat for the time being.
There aren’t going to be recent first-round picks or highly valued players going back to Miami in return for Butler if he is to be traded before the Feb. 6 trade deadline, which is why what the Bucks have to offer can keep the Heat competitive. Middleton and Portis are two win-now players, as is a defensive-minded forward like Jarred Vanderbilt, who should be returning from his knee injury before the All-Star break. No other team in the league could keep the Heat in a relevant spot after trading Butler like the Bucks could.
Vanderbilt comes from the Lakers, as does Vincent, Jalen Hood-Schifino, and two second-round picks — one going to Detroit and the other to Washington. This is a lot for Los Angeles to give up, especially after already dealing three second-round picks, D’Angelo Russell, and Maxwell Lewis to the Brooklyn Nets in December for Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton. Ultimately, this is the price that will need to be paid if the Lakers want to go all-in on their championship pursuit by adding Lopez to their frontcourt.
After all, this may not be the worst idea for the Lakers since Lopez would become a free agent next offseason and James can opt out to restructure his deal. This creates flexibility for Rob Pelinka and Los Angeles, as they would once again be in the market to pursue key talent and even possibly see LeBron take a slight pay cut.
From Detroit’s perspective, Connaughton could be a veteran player who comes in and helps fill the void left behind by Jaden Ivey, who recently suffered a fractured leg. Beauchamp is in the final year of his rookie contract and is a young player who has shown flashes of his scoring potential on the wing. Maybe all he needs is a change of scenery to start finding success in the NBA. Although Fontecchio was a player the Pistons bought cheap at the price of a second-round pick, he has been buried at times on the wing behind Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway Jr.
Realistically, Fontecchio is just a placeholder here, as Detroit could opt to send Beasley to Milwaukee instead to keep their 2024 trade deadline acquisition. Either way, getting two second-round picks and taking a swing on two players who can fill needs on the perimeter is a good deal for where the Pistons are as a growing franchise.
And finally, for the moment we’ve all been waiting for, the inclusion of the Washington Wizards and why they are even a part of this trade since they aren’t giving anything up. Well, the Wizards would essentially trade cash and/or possibly the draft rights to an international player they own for the contracts of Josh Richardson and Hood-Schifino. The reason why they would do so is because the Wizards are rebuilding and they would get a 2025 second-round pick in order to waive some players.
Whereas the Wizards and Pistons can continue to add draft value by taking on some contracts, the Lakers can increase their chances of finding postseason success with a winning big man like Lopez. For the Heat, this organization wants to remain competitive in any possible trade involving Butler. While Middleton, Portis, and Vanderbilt are by no means a grand return for Butler, these three players can keep Miami in the playoff mix this season before management re-evaluated their position during the offseason.
Middleton and Portis will be entering the final year of their respective contracts in the summer, giving Miami plenty of options on how to further build their future. Time will tell what the Heat decide to do with Butler, as the NBA trade deadline is nearly four weeks away.
The post The 5-team Jimmy Butler trade involving Lakers that Bucks must consider appeared first on ClutchPoints.
