Miami Heat small forward Jimmy Butler wants the NBA to investigate the Milwaukee Bucks for tampering after the Bucks acquired Damian Lillard from the Portland Trail Blazers. Lillard requested a trade from the Blazers to the Heat on July 1, but Portland decided to send Lillard to Milwaukee.
Lillard didn’t have a no-trade clause in his contract, so he wasn’t able to control his trade request. The seven-time All-Star wanted to play with Butler and Bam Adebayo, but he’s going to the Bucks instead to play with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Jimmy Butler, Damian Lillard, Milwaukee Bucks, Miami Heat Updates
The Heat offered the Blazers a trade package that included Tyler Herro and two first-round picks for Lillard, according to NBA insider Marc J. Spears of ESPN. Lillard is close friends with Adebayo and truly thought he could win a title in Miami. Now, Dame will have to try to win a championship with Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee.
An NBA legend, Lillard averaged 32.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 7.3 assists last season for the Blazers. He will make $46.6 million next season. Lillard signed a two-year, $121.8 million extension with Portland in July 2022.
Butler averaged 22.9 points, 5.9 rebounds and 5.3 assists for the Heat last season. The Texas native guided Miami to the NBA Finals by averaging 28.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 5.7 assists in the 2023 Eastern Conference playoffs against the Bucks, New York Knicks and Boston Celtics.
The Heat, though, lost to the Denver Nuggets in the NBA Finals in five games. Miami is 0-2 in the Finals in the Butler era, which began in 2019-20.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Jimmy Butler, Damian Lillard, Milwaukee Bucks, Miami Heat Updates
Butler is averaging 21.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 5.9 assists in 231 games with the Heat. He will make the Hall of Fame one day, which is remarkable considering the fact that Butler was homeless at one point as a teenager.
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