The Milwaukee Bucks were one of several eastern conference contenders to make moves during the 2025 NBA Trade deadline. While the Bucks said goodbye to one of its franchise cornerstones in Khris Middleton as well as a promising young player in Marjon Beauchamp, they also added Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma, Knicks center Jericho Sims, and Clippers wing Kevin Porter Jr. Is this enough for the Bucks to find their way back to the NBA Finals? Let’s see what else happened in the East that could thwart Milwaukee.
Miami Heat Finally Offload Jimmy Butler and Prepare to Push The Bucks in the Eastern Conference
The two-month long Jimmy Butler trade saga is over. After holdouts, suspensions, plenty of drama on social media, and weeks of trade speculation, the Miami Heat finally offloaded Butler to the Golden State Warriors. They secured draft compensation and notably, forward Andrew Wiggins, a proven player in the playoffs that figures to be a strong fit in Miami. Kyle Anderson also finds himself in South Beach after the move.
The Heat also snagged Raptors defensive specialist Davion Mitchell using assets from the Butler deal. These three additions will allow a sort of reset for the Heat, who can now fully launch themselves into the season without internal drama overshadowing the business on the court.
No matter what problems the Heat deal with during a regular season, Bucks fans know that Miami cannot be underestimated. Milwaukee could realistically face Miami in the first round of the playoffs once again. Expect Miami to grow into the season and once again be one of those teams that “nobody wants to play” come May.
The Cleveland Cavaliers Were Not Content to be Passive Despite Being #1 Seed in the East
Milwaukee, Miami, and everyone else in the Eastern conference are looking up in the standings at the Cleveland Cavaliers. At 41-10, the Cavs have been perhaps the surprise of the season and are looking like a squad that has taken a legitimate next step. Cleveland was by no means content with standing pat at the deadline and made a big swing for Atlanta Hawks wing DeAndre Hunter on deadline day.
To acquire Hunter, the Cavs parted ways with veterans Caris LeVert and Georges Niang. While both players have been solid contributors in the Land over the last few seasons, Hunter possesses an upside that is exciting many Cavalier fans. Hunter has been having a career year, averaging a career-best 19 points per game on a career-best efficiency.
The Cavaliers were missing top-tier wing talent. While Isaac Okoro, Dean Wade, and Max Strus have all had their chance to be the 5th starter for Kenny Atkinson, Hunter is a fringe All-Star-type player who now completes one of the most formidable starting 5s in the league.
Cleveland will likely continue their torrential pace and likely be a top 2 seed in the East come playoff time. Milwaukee would ideally be able to close the distance and avoid facing them in the first round.
Other Moves Made By Teams Near Milwaukee in the Standings
The three other teams above Milwaukee currently, namely the Boston Celtics, the New York Knicks, and the Indiana Pacers were all quiet during trade season. However, there are other teams closely behind Milwaukee that made moves that could change things.
The division rival Detroit Pistons made several veteran acquisitions that could help them secure a playoff berth. After years of tanking, the Pistons look ready to make their first postseason appearance since 2019. Several backcourt additions, mainly Dennis Schroder and Josh Richardson, could help stabilize the team. While neither player is going to grab many headlines, these two, along with veterans like Tobias Harris and Malik Beasley, could be what allows Detroit to make some noise in the East this year.
While the Toronto Raptors are still more likely to find themselves in the high lottery as opposed to sneaking into the Play-In Tournament, they did improve their roster by adding Brandon Ingram. They are not necessarily a postseason threat, but still could be a frisky opponent in the regular season for the Bucks.
Both the Atlanta Hawks and the Chicago Bulls had their version of a fire-sale in February. The Bulls offloaded several key players, most notably Zach LaVine. Meanwhile, the Hawks sent away Bogdan Bogdanovic, DeAndre Hunter, and more, essentially declaring this season a wash.
The Milwaukee Bucks seemed to have improved their roster on paper, but the journey to climb the Eastern conference standings begins now. Their first game post-deadline is against the aforementioned Atlanta Hawks on February 7th. The new players will be looking to make their home debuts on February 9th against the Philadelphia 76ers.
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