"Y'all didn't hear it from me": Jimmy Butler seemingly accuses Giannis Antetokounmpo's Bucks of tampering for Damian Lillard trade
Jimmy Butler doesn't seem too pleased with the Milwaukee Bucks sensationally trading for Damian Lillard. The Miami Heat seemed primed to land the All-Star guard as they were reportedly his preferred landing spot. The Bucks stunned Butler and the entire league by entering the sweepstakes in the last 24 hours and winning it out of nowhere.
The Heat forward took to Instagram, complaining to the NBA about potential tampering violations the Bucks have committed by trading for Lillard.
“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.”
Unfortunately for Butler, the Bucks seemed to have fairly won the Lillard sweepstakes over his Heat and other suitors. The Bucks' interest was reported just over a day ago by ESPN's Marc J. Spears. Meanwhile, the Toronto Raptors were the frontrunners over the past two days, while the Heat were expected to be Lillard's next destination for months.
Damian Lillard debunks reports about his willingness to only play with Jimmy Butler's Heat
Several reports stated that Damian Lillard only wanted a move to the Miami Heat. However, the former Portland Trail Blazers guard has debunked those rumors by approving his move to the Milwaukee Bucks. Lillard posted a series of Instagram stories that hyped his move to the Wisconsin franchise, while he also didn't take too long to make his first tweet after the blockbuster trade got announced.
"The casuals won’t be addressed but the trailblazers fans and city of Portland that I love truly will be … and they will be addressed truthfully. Stay tuned... Excited for my next chapter! @Bucks"
Lillard ends up in a favorable position to win his first ring. Some may say it's an even better situation than being with the Miami Heat. Lillard will team with another MVP-caliber presence for the first time in his career alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The Bucks are deeper and more talented on paper compared to Miami. They already were among the favorites to win the championship. With Lillard's addition, the Bucks are not favorites, as per the oddsmakers, too.
ESPN's Marc J. Spears reported that Lillard was accepting of a move to Milwaukee and the Brooklyn Nets over the last few days after the Heat's talks with the Trail Blazers were headed nowhere.
Also read: Damian Lillard trade to Milwaukee Bucks: Which players were involved? Full details for blockbuster trade