
NBA Rumor: Jimmy Butler to Rockets?
36 rumors in this storyline

Derek Bodner: With JJ Redick leaving, the #sixers can make a potential Jimmy Butler sign and trade while being an under the cap team, meaning Butler would not be subject to the BYC rules. Functionally, this means two team deals with either the Rockets or Heat would be possible now.
More Rumors in this Storyline
An NBA source confirmed on Saturday that 76ers swingman Jimmy Butler is scheduled to meet on Sunday with the Miami Heat in Florida. Butler is then expected to meet with the Houston Rockets in Los Angeles sometime in the next few days. ESPN was first to report the news.
As of Thursday, league sources told The Athletic the Rockets have been shopping Capela and Eric Gordon for a first-round pick that could then be used to entice Philadelphia to do a sign-and-trade for Jimmy Butler.
Rockets confident about landing Jimmy Butler
The Rockets are extremely confident in landing Butler. Team sources not only believe the Rockets have a good shot to land the Texas native but also that they have a firm place in the lead for him. Should Butler give a clear indication that he wants to join forces with Paul and Harden, Morey would make the necessary moves to land him and present a four-year, $140.6 million contract.
Capela, Gordon, Tucker on the trade block
Adrian Wojnarowski: Reporting w/ @ZachLowe: Houstonโs offering Clint Capela, Eric Gordon and PJ Tucker individually to teams w/ space to absorb salary. Rockets trying for best available first-rounder for any of those three, hoping to redirect pick to Philly in pursuit of Jimmy Butler sign-and-trade.
Adrian Wojnarowski: Philadelphia has been privately expressing confidence around NBA that it can re-sign Butler and Tobias Harris, but Houston remains on case of selling Butler/76ers with a sign-and-trade scenario once free agency starts on Sunday.
A source with knowledge of the Rocketsโ plans said Danny Green, Jeremy Lamb, Al-Farouq Aminu, DeAndre Jordan, Brook Lopez and Kevon Looney are also possible targets. But Butler, make no mistake, is the dream addition.
Alykhan Bijani: There’s been buzz surrounding Jimmy Butler and the #Rockets since before his trade to Philadelphia. Houston feels confident in its pursuit of Butler and will meet with him in Philadelphia with the hope he joins Chris Paul and James Harden, league sources told @TheAthleticHOU.
Butler would be eligible to sign a four-year, $140 million contract on the way to the Rockets, but Houston would likely need to include center Clint Capela and guard Eric Gordon to make the financial deal work, sources said.
Trading Paul would have positioned the Rockets to be a Clint Capela or Eric Gordon trade away from freeing up the cap space to sign Jimmy Butler, who league sources say they plan to pursue.
Rockets after Jimmy Butler?
Brian T. Smith: Rockets are expected to pursue Butler and be aggressive in their pursuit. Seen as an ideal fit on both ends of court, and in helping push Rockets to the top of the wide-open West.
Iโm not hugely surprised that the Wolves resisted Houston’s trade offer last week of four future first-round picks for Butler, along with the contracts of Brandon Knight and Marquess Chriss. The stated reason was that the Rockets’ latest proposal features zero players who can help Minnesota immediately, but the biggest factor was presumably this: Minnesotaโs owner, Glen Taylor, and Coach Tom Thibodeau are in strong agreement about not wanting to surrender Butler to the Rockets and set them up with a third elite player alongside James Harden and Chris Paul.
Adrian Wojnarowski: “Houston, to me, is the one team in this entire process, the only team in this process, who can rightly believe, ‘If we trade for Jimmy Butler, we think he helps us win a championship this year.’ There’s not another team who can say that who’s really involved in this. The one team that has been on the periphery, and I still think could be heard from in this, is Philadelphia. Because I think they’re a little like Houston right now in that they’re evaluating themselves and they’re saying, ‘Not only are not sure we didn’t improve from last year, I’m not sure we’ll even be the same team.'”
Adrian Wojnarowski: “I still think Philadelphia may be heard from again in this, and Miami, I don’t think they’ve given up on the idea of Jimmy Butler, but Houston is the one team who says, ‘OK, we want to win it, this is our window, it’s in the next couple of years, and right now we’re probably not good enough to do it.'”
Houston has offered four future first-round picks to Minnesota, but that package doesn’t include guard Eric Gordon, who’d be mandatory for Minnesota in any proposed deal, league sources said. Thibodeau wants a maximum return on players able to help Minnesota get back to the playoffs.
Shams Charania: Minnesota is showing no inclination to move on Houston offer of two injured players and four first-rounders for Jimmy Butler, per sources. On @WatchStadium: pic.twitter.com/NnXkMwXd9N
The Rockets’ offer constitutes the maximum number of first-round picks allowable in a deal, factoring in league rules that necessitate no first-rounders can be conveyed in successive years, and no pick can be traded farther out than seven seasons. The lottery protections on picks in this proposed deal would be limited. Discussions on the players involved in the Minnesota-Houston talks remain fluid, league sources said.
So far, Minnesota has been unmoved on offers for Butler, who requested a trade in the preseason and has told the organization that he plans to leave in free agency this summer. The Rockets would be trading for Butler with a strong desire to re-sign him this summer to a long-term contract extension. Butler, 29, plans to become an unrestricted free agent.
Bobby Marks: 7-year rule allows a team to trade up to 4 picks between 2019 to 2025. The first has to alternate each year (19, 21, 23 and 25) and cannot have protection unless the pick does not rollover to the following season. Ex: Protected top 14 and doesnโt convey if HOU is in the lottery.
Zach Lowe: Note going into the story — Oct. 31 could be a key date here, league sources say. That’s the 2-month anniversary of the Chriss/Knight trade, meaning HOU would be free to aggregate them into larger trades.
Adrian Wojnarowski: Story posting soon: The Houston Rockets are making a renewed bid to acquire Minnesota All-Star Jimmy Butler, including four future first-round draft picks in their most recent trade offer, league sources tell ESPN.
Sam Amick: “And then on the other side of that, you’re just gonna have teams like Miami and Houston, who are gonna realize they need a little more. Houston’s getting off to a tough start, and now these suspensions, it’s even worse. So what does that look like down the line, if their record, if they’re scuffling? This is a team, in terms of expectations, they are the ones talking about, ‘We’re the No. 1 contenders for the crown.’ That’s how they’re talking. That’s a pretty high bar. So maybe it’s Houston putting more on the table than they had before. Maybe it’s Miami.”
Alex Kennedy: According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, in addition to the Miami Heat, the Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Clippers and Dallas Mavericks are interested in Jimmy Butler. In this snippet from our weekend podcast (audioboom.com/posts/7053994-โฆ), Brian explains why a trade hasn’t happened yet: pic.twitter.com/2boyDTn5zP
Marc Stein: Although I still canโt believe that the Wolves didnโt jump on the Heatโs offer headlined by the promising Josh Richardson, Miami continues to be the most likely Butler destination. Yet I must note that rumbles persist about Houston maintaining serious interest in trying to concoct a workable deal structure that convinces the Timberwolves to surrender their All-Star swingman โ even though you hear over and over that Minnesota wants to send him East if it sends Butler anywhere, to avoid helping the Rockets establish their own superteam.
Stefano Fusaro: Jimmy Butler update: According to a league source, The Wolves contacted the Rockets again Tuesday morning, after their failed deal with Miami this past weekend. Minnesota was still adamant on receiving Eric Gordon and PJ Tucker, but Houston will not put Tucker on the table.
Multiple reports have the Rockets eliminated from contention, despite offering a package rumored to be as big as Eric Gordon, P.J. Tucker, and several draft picks. The reasoning for Houston being ruled out isnโt because of the deal, but because, reportedly, Minnesota doesnโt want the Rockets to become the kind of juggernaut the Western Conference already has in Golden State. โWe already are at [that level],โ Feritta says in a phone call. โWeโre an improved team over last year based on who weโve acquired this offseason. And last year, obviously, weโre a game away from the Finals. โWe would love to see Jimmy come home to Houston. Itโs not a financial decision, itโs an assets decision on our part. Weโve got a great basketball team. We think weโre as good as anybody in the league. Weโre not going to give up unreasonable assets, to break up this team, to get Jimmy Butler. But we would love to have him.โ
While Houston continues to explore its options in the Jimmy Butler saga and has significant interest in landing the disgruntled Minnesota star, strong skepticism remains that the Timberwolves are seriously dedicated to finding a deal. So long as that remains the case, with so many executives convinced that president of basketball operations/coach Tom Thibodeau still wants Butler to stay despite the uncomfortable nature of it all, then these Rockets will have to prepare as if there is no more help on the way. Translation: The prospect of Anthony playing like a legitimate star again would be welcomed. He has plenty of personal incentive, too, as heโll be a free agent again next summer after signing a one-year, $2.4 million deal with Houston (Anthony was traded by the Thunder to Atlanta in a three-team deal with Philadelphia, then bought out by the Hawks; heโs still slated to earn the $27.9 million he was owed for next season between the buyout and his Rockets deal).
While Houston continues to explore its options in the Jimmy Butler saga and has significant interest in landing the disgruntled Minnesota star, strong skepticism remains that the Timberwolves are seriously dedicated to finding a deal. So long as that remains the case, with so many executives convinced that president of basketball operations/coach Tom Thibodeau still wants Butler to stay despite the uncomfortable nature of it all, then these Rockets will have to prepare as if there is no more help on the way.
Rockets making push for Jimmy Butler
Adrian Wojnarowski: Sources: Miami has been the most engaged team with Minnesota on a Jimmy Butler trade. So far, no traction with Clippers and Nets. Houston’s tried to be creative in its pursuit. It’ll be a challenge — although not impossible — to get any Butler deal done without a third team.
January 25, 2021 | 10:04 pm EST Update
Nets beat Miami before road trip

Alex Schiffer: Final: Nets sweep the Heat 98-85 despite shooting just 29 percent from 3 and 40 percent from the field. Kevin Durant and James Harden each score 20 points while Kyrie Irving adds 16. Nets are 11-8 and go on a four-game road trip, which starts in Atlanta on Wednesday.

Joe Mussatto: Isaiah Roby is the Thunder’s oldest starter tonight. G: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (22-197d) G: Theo Maledon (19-227d) G: Lu Dort (21-281d) F: Darius Bazley (20-227d) C: Isaiah Roby (22-357d)

Tom Moore: #Sixers coach Doc Rivers on Tobias Harris: ‘I love the way he’s been playing. … When he plays with quick decisions & downhill, he’s been fantastic.’

Tom Moore: #Sixers coach Doc Rivers on facing the #Lakers Wednesday: ‘We’ll be ready when it comes, I’ll tell you that. They’re not a hard team to get up for. … They have LeBron James and Anthony Davis. They’re better than last year.’

Tom Moore: #Sixers rookie guard Tyrese Maxey on playing the #Lakers Wednesday: ‘They’re the champs right now. It’ll be a good test to try to get us a ‘W.’ ‘

J. Michael Falgoust: Turner on what’s changed with him: “I’m a lot more relaxed. I just don’t care what people think anymore. I was so worried about what media had to say, analyst, other players.” #PacersRaptors