Salary-cap expert explains how Bucks can acquire Jimmy Butler

The NBA's new CBA puts severe restrictions on teams in the second apron of the luxury tax, precluding their ability to aggregate contracts in trades. As such, the Bucks — one of the four teams in the second apron — need the assistance of a third team to pull off a trade for a max-level player such as Jimmy Butler.

ESPN's Bobby Marks explained how creative maneuvering can help the Bucks land Butler. The former Nets assistant GM noted that since the Bucks are $6.5M over the second apron, they can only aggregate contracts if the post-transactional salary is below the threshold of $189M.

"For the Bucks to accomplish this, they would need to send Khris Middleton and Bobby Portis to Miami, then find a third team to take back Pat Connaughton," Marks wrote. "That would leave Milwaukee $700,000 below the second apron."

Marks named the Pistons the ideal third team to take back Connaughton's $9.4M contract. He added that the Bucks must include their 2031 first- and second-round picks to make the trade work. 

The Bucks have reportedly engaged the Heat on a trade for Butler. However, insiders Chris Haynes and Kevin O'Connor noted that teams such as the Bucks and Grizzlies have been asked to "back off" and avoid such a move due to Butler's free-agency situation. Since Butler can opt out of his contract this summer, there's no guarantee the team that trades for him will acquire him for the long haul. 

As intriguing as the idea of a Big Three with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard and Butler sounds, it seems like a pipe dream unlikely to materialize. According to multiple insiders, Butler still prefers a move to the Warriors, Mavericks, Rockets or Suns.  

The Heat have until the Feb. 6 deadline to trade Butler.