Getty Image / Mitchell Leff
Word had barely spread that the Milwaukee Bucks landed Damian Lillard in a 3-team trade with the Phoenix Suns and Portland Trail Blazers before Miami’s Jimmy Butler called on the NBA to investigate Milwaukee for tampering.
For days, NBA insiders had been anticipating an announcement that Dame Lillard would be traded to the Miami Heat after 11 seasons with the Portland Trailblazers. Instead, news broke on Wednesday afternoon that Milwaukee hand landed the 7-time NBA All-Star after Giannis Antetokounmpo had threatened to leave Milwaukee unless they went out and got him help.
Jimmy Butler Calls On NBA To Investigate Tampering
Jimmy Butler took to Instagram Stories to ask the league to investigate tampering in the Milwaukee Bucks x Damian Lillard trade. He is half joking, or so it would seem, as he says “you didn’t hear it from me” while talking into the camera.
“Yo NBA man, y’all need to look into the Bucks for tampering… Y’all didn’t hear it from me, but I heard it from somebody.”
Jimmy Butler speaks on Damian Lillard being traded to the Milwaukee Bucks 😅
(via @JimmyButler / IG)pic.twitter.com/fDBMSEHN3h
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) September 27, 2023
In the video, Jimmy Butler can be heard saying “hey NBA, man, y’all need to look into the Bucks for tampering. Y’all do. I’m just going to put that out there. Y’all didn’t hear it from me but I heard it through somebody. Y’all gotta look at them for something.”
One Miami Heat insider I spoke with believes this could now trigger a domino effect that cripples the Heat and could potentially result in Miami having to trade Jimmy Butler. It might not happen immediately but if Miami struggles early in the season, a decision could be made to dump veteran talent in favor of youth and begin the dreaded rebuilding process.
This move also puts the Milwaukee Bucks firmly in the ‘Win Now’ category. Damian Lillard has 2 years left on his contract with the Milwaukee Bucks, pending any sort of an extension they might work out down the line. The Bucks will also pay him $45+ million this season and $48+ million next season.
Giannis Antetokounmpo has three years left on his contract before becoming an unrestricted free agent. The Milwaukee Bucks are just 2 years removed from winning the Championship and they won the Eastern Conference (regular season) in 2022 before losing to Jimmy Butler’s Miami Heat in the first round of the NBA Playoffs.