The Milwaukee Bucks just finished a home stand in which they went 4-0. Those four wins brought them to 24-17 on the year, 7-3 in their last 10 games, and just 2.5 games back from the New York Knicks for the third seed. While Milwaukee has seemingly turned around their season after a 1-6 start, there may be a move or two on the horizon to solidify a championship team.
Bucks “Refusing To Back Down” In Significant Trade Talks (Report)
In spite of significant obstacles, the Milwaukee Bucks are reportedly not discouraged from exploring a potential Jimmy Butler trade. Marc Stein of the NBA Insider reports that the Bucks remain open to the possibility:
Milwaukee has shown in the past that they are willing to make bold moves to strengthen their roster. Their blockbuster acquisition of Damian Lillard in 2023 was a clear signal that the organization is focused on capitalizing on Giannis Antetokounmpo’s prime years.
However, despite high expectations, the Lillard trade hasn’t delivered the results they hoped for. Still, the team remains committed to finding ways to compete at the highest level.
Stein reported via “The Stein Line” that, unlike the Memphis Grizzlies, the Milwaukee Bucks have not received any indications discouraging them from pursuing Jimmy Butler. “League sources have confirmed a report from The Athletic’s Sam Amick from earlier this week that Milwaukee — unlike Memphis — has received no whispered messaging intended to discourage the Bucks from trading for Butler,” Stein wrote. However, he also pointed out that whether the Bucks will ultimately emerge as serious contenders for Butler remains uncertain.
The biggest obstacle for Milwaukee in acquiring Jimmy Butler is their position as a second-apron team under the NBA’s salary cap regulations. This status prevents them from aggregating contracts to match Butler’s hefty $146 million deal, complicating their ability to structure a trade. Stein outlined the financial difficulties the Milwaukee Bucks would face, explaining, “The reality in Milwaukee, in any case, is that the Bucks can’t make a trade run… unless they first dodge second apron restrictions by finding a taker for Pat Connaughton’s $9.4 million contract in a deal that does not require them to take back salary.”
Here is a look at Butler’s recent stats:
| Date | Team | Opp | Result | GS | MP | FG | FGA | FG% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | FT | FTA | FT% | ORB | DRB | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | PTS | GmSc | +/- | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-01-19 | MIA | SAS | W 128-107 | * | 28 | 3 | 7 | .429 | 0 | 1 | .000 | 2 | 2 | 1.000 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 10.7 | 19 | |
| 2025-01-17 | MIA | DEN | L 113-133 | * | 33 | 7 | 15 | .467 | 0 | 2 | .000 | 4 | 4 | 1.000 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 12.4 | -11 | |
| 2025-01-02 | MIA | IND | L 115-128 | * | 27 | 3 | 6 | .500 | 1 | 2 | .500 | 2 | 2 | 1.000 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 10.4 | -27 | |
| 2025-01-01 | MIA | NOP | W 119-108 | * | 25 | 3 | 5 | .600 | 1 | 2 | .500 | 2 | 2 | 1.000 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 8.9 | 9 | |
| 2024-12-20 | MIA | OKC | L 97-104 | * | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.4 | -3 |
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