Some players are inextricably linked to the Houston Rockets. Sometimes they have never played a game in a Rockets jersey.
Take Jimmy Butler. He is a recognized H-Town legend. The prodigal son should return to lead the Rockets to the NBA title alongside James Harden and Chris Paul.
The prophecy didn’t come true. Butler never made it to the Rockets. Still, that didn’t stop people from finding ways to send him to Houston – even at age 34.
USA Today’s Wright Sports Network still has hope. They just released a proposal that would send Butler to the Rockets.
It would cost them Jalen Green.
Let’s look at the details.
There are countless angles from which to look at a trade proposal. Is the market value fair? Does the deal make sense for both sides?
In this case, the market value is fair. Even at his advanced age, Butler is worth about the same as Jalen Green and an unprotected first-rounder. Green has untapped potential, but it’s fair to say he’s underperformed so far. He’s a distressed asset. If the Rockets wanted a superstar at his best, it would cost them considerably more.
Does this mean the deal makes sense?
From Miami’s perspective, that makes sense. Sure, they’ve been in a title fight recently. After making the playoffs via the play-in tournament, they should give little importance to that fight. This is a team on the brink of the postseason. For the Heat, a rebuild might be warranted.
We’re just not sure it makes sense for the Rockets. Assuming they were to make that deal, next year they’d likely field a starting lineup of Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr., Butler, Reed Sheppard and Fred VanVleet. That lineup isn’t anywhere close to an NBA title, and Butler isn’t getting any younger.
Have you noticed a noticeable absence? We have too. Unfortunately, it will be difficult to get Amen Thompson into the starting lineup while Butler is in town. Signing him presents another obstacle for the talented young guard/wing.
Plus, Sheppard is being forced into a role he’s not ready for. What else can the Rockets do? A star duo of Sengun and Butler needs space. Houston could start Aaron Holiday instead of Sheppard.
How much sense does a win-now trade make if it forces Aaron Holiday into your starting lineup?
Sure, the Rockets could go a step further. They could trade more players for Butler’s new co-star. Trading for Robin doesn’t make sense unless Batman is on the roster. If Giannis Antetokoumnpo breaks free, perhaps the Rockets could trade whatever is left after signing Antetokoumnpo for Butler.
At this point, it doesn’t make sense to acquire Butler. However, we’ll give USA Today this – it’s a reasonable trade proposal. It’s just not our preference:
But it’s still better than the last Butler deal we discussed.
Grade: B
