NBA Trade Rumors: Blockbuster 5-team deal that sends $43M star to Bucks, grants Jimmy Butler his dream move explained 

With little over a week left before the Feb. 6 NBA trade deadline, all eyes will be on the Milwaukee Bucks, the Phoenix Suns and Miami Heat with Jimmy Butler at the front and center of this saga. It has the biggest domino effect in this trade cycle, opening up the floodgates for other teams to pursue their respective targets.

After ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported on Saturday that the Bucks were shopping Khris Middleton's $31.6 million and Bobby Portis' $12.5 million contracts, a few things became clear as day. The Bucks want a major shakeup. This could result in Jimmy Butler getting his long-desired wish of landing on the Suns as his relationship with the Heat continues regressing.

Meanwhile, the Bucks would clear enough salary to accommodate another All-Star caliber player. According to The Athletic's Wednesday report, Bradley Beal and Zach LaVine were the two prominent candidates linked with the 2021 NBA champions. However, a day later, insider Chris Haynes reported that the Bucks had no interest in Beal.

All signs pointed towards the Bucks potentially focusing entirely on LaVine, who is making $43.0 million and has three years left on his deal, one more than Middleton and Portis. As the deadline nears, these NBA trade rumors have only intensified after Middleton's sluggish return to action.

The injury-prone 33-year-old has played only 19 games this year. Middleton is averaging 11.9 points, 3.9 rebounds and 4.8 assists. He also lost his starting spot to Taurean Prince. Meanwhile, Portis' season has been up and down. He is scoring 13.4 points and shooting 36.4% from 3, a Bucks' career-worse mark.

With Zach LaVine among the major pieces moving elsewhere, the Bulls being involved in this equation opens the door for a five-team deal instead of a three or four-team scenario, including a salary-cap team that would be willing to absorb contracts for draft capital.

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NBA Trade Rumors: How Bucks acquire Zach LaVine and Jimmy Butler's desired union with Suns could come to fruition

The new CBA continues to make things difficult for contenders who wish to make big money moves in the NBA. However, every deal remains possible. GMs have shown a knack for becoming creative and cooperative when they are hellbent on completing their desired transactions.

The Bucks, Heat, Suns and, to some extent, the Bulls are all eager to attain their trade deadline goals. As mentioned above, the Bucks reportedly want to retool their roster in their bid to improve their chances of winning another title with Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Meanwhile, the Heat have reportedly upped their efforts in the bid to trade Jimmy Butler, with this saga significantly impacting the team's chemistry. The Suns desperately want to move on from Bradley Beal and salvage their window by making another huge gamble and pursuing Butler.

As for the Bulls, Zach LaVine's trade value has seemingly been at its highest since they have wanted to move him. With a legitimate suitor emerging in the Bucks, Chicago would be motivated to get the remaining of LaVine's three-year contract off their books. The Bulls possibly also have their best shot at acquiring quality draft capital through this move.

Here's the proposed five-team trade idea created by the author via Fanspo.com:

Zach LaVine lands on Bucks, Jimmy Butler to Suns and Bradley Beal to Bulls

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Explaining this 5-team trade deal

For this five-team trade deal to be possible, the Bucks would have to shed salary and be under the second apron. One of their first moves would be to involve the Pistons and trade Pat Connaughton's $9.4 million salary to the Eastern Conference playoff hopefuls with a 2031 second-round pick as compensation. The Pistons have the space to absorb his deal without any hassle.

The next step would include the rest of the three teams. To acquire Zach LaVine, the Bucks must send Khris Middleton and Bobby Portis to the Miami Heat, who will receive Jimmy Butler in return. As part of the trade, the Suns would naturally have to part ways with their newly acquired first-round draft capital from the Utah Jazz. The 2027 and 2029 picks would land with the Heat in this scenario for Butler.

According to Windhorst, the Heat are open to taking up contracts through 2026. Middleton and Portis fit this criteria. They could also be key contributors amid the Heat's playoff push after Butler's departure. With the Heat taking on two players for one from the Bucks, they could send out Josh Richardson's $3.0 million expiring contract to Milwaukee. The Bucks could use a player like him as a like-for-like replacement for Connaughton at a much lower salary.

The Suns would have to re-route Bradley Beal to the Chicago Bulls. Of course, that deal depends on Beal's go-ahead, as he has a no-trade clause and can reject a move. However, after his benching in Phoenix and a real contender out there looking to acquire him, Beal's best option is to probably accept a move to a lottery team and hope to improve his trade value.

The Bulls could also buy him out next season when he's in the final year of his contract, allowing Beal to join a contender. The Bulls won't mind that, considering they are seemingly headed into a rebuild. Nikola Vucevic and Lonzo Ball's near $41 million salary is also expected to be off their books by the deadline or the offseason.

Additionally, they would get draft compensation from the Suns in the form of a 2025 first-round pick for taking on Beal's contract and the Bucks for LaVine, their 2031 first-round pick with a top-10 protection. The Bulls can also shed some salary by moving Torrey Craig's $2.8 million salary and sending him to Milwaukee.

Giannis and Co. could use another wing defender on the team, with the team seemingly short on players of Craig's caliber.