Can Rockets Bring Heat SF Jimmy Butler Home in Trade?

The Houston Rockets have long been linked to Jimmy Butler. Will they trade for the Miami Heat forward?

Jeremy Brener | Aug 31, 2024

Apr 5, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) dribbles the ball during the third quarter against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports / Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

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Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets have been in trade rumors linked to Jimmy Butler since 2018 in one way or another.

The Miami Heat forward has led his team to a pair of NBA Finals berths, but the squad took a step back this season as Butler couldn't escape the injury bug.

Perhaps Butler would appreciate a change of scenery at this point in his career, and Bleacher Report writer Greg Swartz believes that the Rockets could be his next destination.

"Butler's happiness in Miami with no contract extension is worth monitoring for the Rockets as well. A Houston, Texas, native, Butler could be intrigued by the idea of a return to his home city and the challenge of leading a young team towards a championship," Swartz writes. "This core could benefit tremendously by being around Butler and his incredible work ethic, and the 34-year-old should still have a few All-Star caliber years of basketball left in him."

Butler, who turns 35 next month, has two years remaining on his contract and likely wants to cash in on one more big deal before his career comes to an end.

He is still a dynamic scorer in the league, averaging 20.8 points per game this past season, but the Rockets must ask themselves if it is worth extending Butler or the younger Alperen Sengun or Jalen Green.

One of those would likely be a headliner in a potential trade and the Rockets might not be ready to swap out rising stars for an aging one just yet.

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Published Aug 31, 2024

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.