NBA
Bucks trade rumors: Milwaukee would trade Khris Middleton to acquire Jimmy Butler
Zach Wolpin is an NBA and NFL expert who's been betting on the league for over three years now. Wolpin has been a fan of the NBA and has been watching for a decade and a half. He covers the latest news and stories surrounding the league daily. His passion in life is watching sports and being able to share that through his sports writing. He has written about the NBA and other sports leagues through various media outlets over the years like Sir Charles In Charge, G-Men HQ, and TAP into South Plainfield. Before he became an NBA News Writer, Wolpin attended Montclair State University where he graduated in 2021. He studied Sports Media and Writing while in school.
All posts by Zach WolpinUpdated1 hour ago on January 17, 2025
With a 22-17 record, the Milwaukee Bucks are fourth in the Eastern Conference. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard are catalysts for the team’s success. Their third all-star who’s supposed to be helping the team is Khris Middleton. However, the 33-year-old has been dealing with injuries over the last three seasons.
He missed the first 21 games of the 2024-25 season for Milwaukee. Middleton has played in 16 games and has made seven starts. Sources around the league say the Bucks could be willing to trade Middleton for one specific player. Jimmy Butler from the Heat has been in the news for weeks now. He’s tarnished his relationship with Miami team president Pat Riley. Reportedly, the Bucks would be willing to trade Khris Middleton if they could acquire Jimmy Butler. The NBA trade deadline is Thursday, February, 6.
Are the Bucks going to trade Khris Middleton for Jimmy Butler?
Milwaukee Bucks remain interested in Jimmy Butler and are reportedly willing to trade Khris Middleton to acquire him.
“Amid rumors surrounding Butler and the Bucks possibly emerging as the main dark horse to land him in a trade deadline blockbuster, the one thing that everyone… pic.twitter.com/supaGdjPKV
— Digits Sports App (@Digits3App) January 17, 2025
Since the start of the 2022-23 season, Khris Middleton has played in 104 of 180 possible games. Injuries have kept the three-time all-star off the court. Over the last three seasons, the injuries have piled up and it’s taken a toll on Middleton. He is no longer the same player he once was when Milwaukee won their championship in 2021. In 16 games this season, Middleton is averaging (12.6) points per game. That is the lowest of his career since 2013-24.
Sources around the NBA have reported that the Bucks are interested in Miami’s Jimmy Butler. Several teams are rumored to want to acquire Butler and Milwaukee adds to the list. The 35-year-old has not been with the Heat for the last seven games. He was suspended by Miami for conduct detrimental to the team. Butler could return on Friday vs. the Nuggets. At this stage in their careers, Butler and Middelton play at similar levels. However, Butler makes roughly $14 million more per season than Middelton.
One major roadblock in the way is that Milwaukee is a second-apron team. Jimmy Butler’s contact is larger than Middelton’s. If they did trade for Butler, they would face even larger penalties for having him on the roster. While Butler will help the team win games, acquiring him would come with long-term effects. Are the Bucks willing to make that happen to cash in on Giannis and Dame’s time together? We’ll wait and see if Milwaukee is aggressive for Butler at the trade deadline.
