Bucks Being Viewed as 'Sleeper Team' For Trade of Jimmy Butler: Report

The Milwaukee Bucks have been battling themselves back into contention for some time now. After a very slow start to the new season, Milwaukee has seemed to find its footing and now are in a very good place within the Eastern Conference standings.

With only a few weeks left until the trade deadline, the Bucks are primed to make a splash to help with their playoff run. Even with their recent success, Milwaukee has seemed to fall behind when playing against the better teams.

This could lead the front office to make a massive move and they are reportedly a sleeper to land one star. With all the drama going around the Miami Heat and forward Jimmy Butler, it seems that Milwaukee could still be a team to watch out for.

According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, Milwaukee hasn't been told that they are out on a deal for Butler. The Bucks have long been considered a longshot for the Heat star but it seems that they could still land him in a trade.

"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."

For the Bucks to actually land Butler, they would need to shed some real salary due to the new CBA restrictions. Where things currently stand, the Bucks can only send out one player in any trade, and with Butler making $48 million, it could be tough.

But if the Bucks were to fall under the dreaded second apron within a deal, it would open up some real flexibility for themselves. Even if they were to go after Butler, the team would need to unload a few salaries to make a deal work out.

Any deal for Butler would be tricky but he could drastically change the way Milwaukee contends this year. His toughness and defense could be good for this team but it would also cut the limited depth that they have.

Milwaukee isn't likely to trade for Butler but it seems that the idea won't go away fully until after the trade deadline is over.

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