At this point, it is no longer a secret that Jimmy Butler wants out of South Beach. But will the Milwaukee Bucks become the trade destination of the former Marquette Golden Eagles star?
It is one thing for Butler to want to get traded and it’s a completely different thing for the Heat to find a landing spot for him. Butler is in an intriguing contractual situation.
He is earning a staggering $48.798 million in the 2024-25 NBA season and he also has a huge player option he could pick up for the 2025-26 campaign worth $52.413 million. It would take a lot for a team to match Butler’s salary in a trade. Bobby Marks of ESPN worked out a theoretical Butler trade involving the Bucks, who would have to give up Khris Middleton, Bobby Portis and Pat Connaughton.
Becky Hammon, Chiney Ogwumike share their thoughts on Portis, other Bucks amid Butler trade rumors
When asked by Malika Andrews for a reaction on such a trade, Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon did not seem too convinced, saying that giving up Portis and Connaughton would be tough for Milwaukee.
“Oh it’s a lot okay it’s a lot,” Hammon said. “ It’s a lot of disruption. I do like the defensive aspect that Jimmy [Butler] would bring, but Bobby Portis… Yes, it’s huge for them and when you talk about Pat Connaughton, he’s like a culture guy, like they love him there so this is a really tough trigger if I’m Jon Horst.”
Chiney Ogwumike also shared the same sentiment: “”We love our Bobbys here on the show — Bobby Marks and Bobby Portis — and to me, once I hear he’s involved it’s difficult. He has been a tremendous bright spot, an energy boost, leading scorer off the bench. It’s hard to sort of see Jimmy come in and then what does that do for the starting five.” ”
ESPN’s analysts look at a potential Jimmy Butler Milwaukee trade but wouldn’t pull the trigger because “Bobby Portis is too important”
Via @espn pic.twitter.com/jEldJbJ0wE
— BucksShowYo🦌 (@BucksShowYo) January 7, 2025
Many fans had a hard time being on the same page with Hammon and Ogwumike.
“ they have not watched a minute of the Bucks this season”
“Have they watched Bobby Portis this season??”
“LMFAOOOO “BOBBY IS TOO IMPORTANT” AND “PAT IS A CULTURE GUY” This is way they wouldn’t do the trade LMFAOOOOOOOOOO”
“Am I watching different games than everyone else??? Why do they act like Bobby is the third best player on this team? They didn’t even talk about the potential impact of losing Khris just Bobby 😂”
“I’m a bucks fan and I’m trading Bobby pat khris for jimmy in a heartbeat lol”
Both Portis and Connaughton could be free agents by the end of the 2024-25 season, but they also have player options for the 2025-26 campaign.
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