Western Conference Team Could Pursue Miami Heat's Jimmy Butler In Trade

The Houston Rockets have been named as a team to watch if Jimmy Butler becomes available. He grew up not far from the city.

Oct 23, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) brings the ball up the court against the Orlando Magic during the first half at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images / Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

Rumors about Jimmy Butler's time with the Miami Heat have circulated since the beginning of the offseason.

They are starting to heat up again after veteran NBA reporter Marc Stein reported the Houston Rockets could be in the mix.

“The Rockets are also increasingly mentioned by monitoring rivals as a team to watch should Miami ever reach a point that it chooses to explore its trade options with Jimmy Butler, who grew up some 30 miles away from Houston in Tomball, Texas," Stein said on Substack.

The Rockets are filled with young talent. Coach Ime Udoka is a win-now coach, which is a perfect destination for Butler as he wants to win soon as possible.

The Rockets could move some of their young pieces to Miami and some of Phoenix's future picks.

After signing young stars Alperen Sengun and Jalen Green to contract extensions, Houston seems to be set on them for the foreseeable future. However, both of their contracts were not the full max and have a player option in the last year. Both contracts are tradeable.

Butler's ability to win, and his aggressiveness matches Udoka's coaching.

Although Butler is 35 and does not fit Houston's timeline in the long run, he fits the winning culture. The six-time All-Star has proven himself as a winner, especially come playoff time. Udoka's Celtics also faced Butler in the 2022 Eastern Conference Finals.

Ryan Diamond is a contributor to Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at radiamond15@gmail.com and @RyanDiam15 on X