Miami Heat’s Jimmy Butler Has Not Ruled Out Trade To Milwaukee Bucks

Every day, it seems more teams are being eliminated from the Jimmy Butler sweepstakes.

Earlier reports stated the Milwaukee Bucks were told to “back off” Butler. He hopes to get a contract extension this summer but the Bucks are tied long-term to Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard.

However, The Athletic reported the Bucks may be back on the list of Butler’s potential destinations.

“And while it remains unclear which teams are truly willing to get into the Butler business, two league sources insisted that the Milwaukee Bucks have not, contrary to reports, been told by Butler’s camp that he doesn’t want to play there,” The Athletic’s Sam Amick wrote Wednesday.

Although Butler has not reportedly ruled out Milwaukee, it seems unlikely he joins the Bucks. Antetokounmpo and Lillard’s salaries are both over $48 million. With that amount of money on the books, it will be difficult for Butler to get his desired money with the Bucks.

Butler’s reported preferred destination remains the Phoenix Suns. He hopes to join All-Stars Kevin Durant and Devin Booker as the Suns attempt emerging as legitimate Western Conference contenders.

One other team reportedly crossed off Butler’s list of destinations is the Memphis Grizzlies.

Butler’s trade request comes after an offseason where he was denied a contract extension by the Heat. Butler is looking for a long-term extension but at his age, the team felt it was risky to extend him beyond his contract.

The trade deadline is Feb. 6.

ADEBAYO RESPONDS TO BUTLER STANDOFF

Jimmy Butler’s seven-game suspension ends this week.

Over the course of his suspension, Butler’s trade request has been the talk of the NBA. Recent reports stated the Miami Heat are considering converting his suspension to a more expensive penalty.

Meanwhile, Heat center Bam Adebayo is helping lead the team to a 20-18 record. Adebayo spoke to Andscape regarding Butler’s standoff with the organization.

“You understand that his business at the end of the day, and I’ll leave it at that,” Adebayo said. “J.B. [Butler] is one of my guys. So, for me, we give him space and we let him and management handle it, get involved in that. We worry about getting these wins because at the end of the day, whatever happens with him and the management, somebody still got to play these games.”

Adebayo is the longest tenured member of the Heat. He has taken on a veteran leadership role amid the Butler trade situation. Even with the distractions that Butler’s trade request have caused, Adebayo and the Miami Heat are vying for a playoff spot.

“You still got to go out there and win. That’s the best thing for us to get our mind off of that situation. Go out here and get some wins.”

The Heat are 3-3 since Butler’s suspension began. Butler is eligible to play Friday. He is expected to return to the court even if he is not moved prior.

HEAT CONTINUE TO SLIP IN POWER RANKINGS

This week, the Heat slipped to No. 16 in the NBA power rankings. Last week, they were No. 14.

This past week began with a overtime loss in Sacramento. However, the Heat rallied and enter Monday’s showdown with the Clippers riding a three-game winning streak.

“The three games since the loss in Sacramento have been the Heat’s best three-game stretch of defense this season (99.3 points allowed per 100 possessions),” NBA.com’s John Schuhmann wrote. “They didn’t score much more efficiently in their five-point win in Utah on Thursday (97 points on 96 possessions) than they did when they lost by 36 to the Jazz five days earlier (100 on 103).”

The team’s success comes with the emergence of Nikola Jović as a ball handler.

Schuhmann added, “Nikola Jović has been handling the ball a lot more of late. He’s averaged 2.7 minutes of possession (9.9% of his minutes on the floor) in January, up from 1.2 minutes (6.0%) before that. Of course, he’s not looking to shoot off the dribble, as he’s just 2-for-13 on pull-up jumpers this season.”

The Heat (20-17) sit tied with the Milwaukee Bucks for the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference.

Jimmy Butler’s suspension ends Friday, following the Heat’s road games at the Clippers and Lakers. The team travels back home for matchups against the Nuggets and Spurs on Friday and Sunday.

Sean Jordan is a contributor to Miami Heat On Sports Illustrated. He can be reached at sjorda06@syr.edu.

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