Bucks GM Jon Horst - Photo by The Athletic
MILWAUKEE, WI (WSAU) – The Milwaukee Bucks and a few other teams have reportedly been informed to leave trade discussions with the Miami Heat over superstar Jimmy Butler as he continues to serve his seven-game suspension and find a change of scenery.
According to Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line, the Bucks, and the Memphis Grizzlies are no longer in trade talks to acquire Butler after reports earlier this week signaled that the former Marquette star possibly had some interest in returning to Milwaukee.
Butler’s three-year contract with the Miami Heat, worth $146 million, ends at the end of the 2024-2025 season, making him a restricted free agent, and the latest reports from Sports Illustrated indicate that he prefers to team up with All-Star forward Kevin Durant and shooting guard Devin Booker in Phoenix if the team can get themselves to a point financially to make a Butler contract work. Butler’s representatives have informed teams that he won’t sign a contract extension with any team if traded, as he’d like to test the open market once the season ends this summer.
Both the Suns and Bucks are suffering from similar cap space dilemmas, as Milwaukee would’ve needed to unload a few contracts, such as Bobby Portis’s and Pat Connaughton’s, to afford Butler’s contract, while Phoenix would need to convince recently benched and former All-Star guard Bradley Beal to waive his no-trade clause to make the deal work on their end. Beal, whose deal is worth upwards of $50 million a year, has been critical of the rumors stating that he “holds the cards” in a possible trade instead of the team.
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