ESPN's Bobby Marks added fuel to the fire regarding the recent rumors connecting Jimmy Butler and the Milwaukee Bucks.
Marks said the Bucks are a team he is watching as the Miami Heat aim to move their disgruntled star ahead of the NBA Trade Deadline. Plenty of people have been wondering how the Bucks could even pull off a trade for the star if they wanted to, given his massive salary and the team's dwindling asset stash, and Marks gave them a clear path to follow on ESPN's NBA Today.
Framework trade to help Jimmy Butler land with the Milwaukee Bucks
Though the Bucks are currently limited by the second apron and cannot aggregate salaries in deals, this particular package involves them sending out enough salary that it is legal, as detailed by Marks.
Marks didn't mention it live on the air, but in this scenario, the Bucks would almost certainly be sending their 2031 first round pick to Miami and their second from that same year to Detroit.
Milwaukee Bucks fans can argue if this package is worth it. Trading Middleton, Portis, Connaughton and both of their remaining draft picks would be them going all-in to the fullest extent. The only end result that would be a success would be another banner at the end of the season. It would be one of the biggest swings in general manager Jon Horst's career, and he has plenty of them on his record.
The major question mark here, somewhat surprisingly, involves the third team, the Detroit Pistons. The Bucks would need to find a new home for Pat Connaughton to make this work, which is easier said than done, given that he is making $9.4 million this season and next, and they only have one second-round pick to attach to him to incentivize anyone to take his salary in.
Detroit does indeed have room to take money in, but it's questionable whether or not they would do so for just one pick, given how much money would go on their books. The Bucks are simply suffering from giving up five second-round picks for Jae Crowder back in 2023, as they could certainly use one or two more of those right now to beef up any potential offer.
It might seem unlikely that the Milwaukee Bucks will end up with Jimmy Butler, but as long as Horst is pulling the strings, they have a chance. He's never been shy about chasing after the big fish when the Bucks need a spark, such as with Jrue Holiday and Damian Lillard, and a move of this magnitude does fit the same criteria.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.