Inside The Heat

Report: Houston Rockets Could Target Jimmy Butler In Offseason

Shandel Richardson

Apr 17, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) dribbles the ball past Philadelphia 76ers guard Kyle Lowry (7) during the second quarter of a play-in game of the 2024 NBA playoffs at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 17, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) dribbles the ball past Philadelphia 76ers guard Kyle Lowry (7) during the second quarter of a play-in game of the 2024 NBA playoffs at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports / Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
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The Miami Heat had nearly two months without much offseason speculation other than Jimmy Butler wanting a contract extension.

With the free agency period a week away, the rumors are starting to flow. The latest is the Houston Rockets possibly going after Butler. According to an ESPN report, they could pursue Butler or Kevin Durant.

“The Rockets are clearly in win-now mode," the report read, "and would love to add star power to their roster, with players such as Kevin Durant, Jimmy Butler, Mikal Bridges and Brandon Ingram as well as role players including Brook Lopez and Marcus Smart being some that other teams say the Rockets could have interest in targeting (with some names more far-fetched than others).”

Bleacher Report recently proposed a trade of the Rockets sending a heavy package of Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, and the No. 3 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft in exchange for Jimmy Butler and the No. 15 pick.

The Heat still have their hopes of keeping Butler but he isn't getting any younger. Still, it may be premature to think they need to make any roster moves because they were without Butler and Terry Rozier during the playoffs.

The Heat have yet to showcase their full roster when it counted in each of the last two seasons (Tyler Herro was hurt during the 2023 Finals run). But Beck is set on the Heat moving on from Butler.

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Inside The Heat. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

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Shandel Richardson

SHANDEL RICHARDSON

Shandel has covered the NBA since 2010, with previous stops at The Athletic and South Florida Sun-Sentinel.  He has covered six NBA Finals, one Super Bowl, the NCAA basketball tournament. He has also been a beat writer for the Miami Hurricanes and contributed on every major beat in South Florida since 2003, including the Miami Dolphins and Miami Marlins. He can also be read in the Sportsbook Review for gambling coverage from around the NBA. A native of Bloomington, Illinois, Shandel attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. He's also worked for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Kansas City Star.  TWITTER: @ShandelRich EMAIL: shandelrich@gmail.com You can subscribe to our YouTube channel here Follow all of our Miami Heat coverage on Facebook here