Should Rockets Trade for Heat Star Jimmy Butler?

Jimmy Butler could be traded by the Miami Heat. Should the Houston Rockets get involved?

Jeremy Brener | Nov 5, 2024

Oct 30, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) dribbles the basketball against the New York Knicks during the second quarter at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

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Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets are in the market to trade for an established star, making them a potential option to trade for Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler.

Butler, 35, could become a free agent this summer if he opts out of his $52 million player option, making him a trade candidate for the Heat and an option for the Rockets, according to Bleacher Report writer Grant Hughes.

"Houston has a glut of young players who need rotation minutes and may not be able to accommodate them this season. Butler could be had for two or three of them in a consolidation trade. The trick would be figuring out which combination of Amen Thompson, Reed Sheppard, Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason or Cam Whitmore would be outgoing," Hughes writes. "The Rockets should probably take Thompson, Sheppard and Smith off the table. Eason or Whitmore could still have enough appeal to the Heat (if they have no future plans for Butler) to get Houston the veteran star it currently lacks."

The Rockets have a few players that they could trade to the Heat for Butler, but parting ways with any of the team's young players for an aging star before they become an established playoff contender would be an opportunity wasted.

Houston needs to ensure that it is ready to make a leap as a contender before trading for any star, because the only way a deal of this magnitude works for the Rockets is if they come out of it with a championship.

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Published Nov 5, 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.