Offer the Rockets star a deal and reset their timeline

ESPN’s Tim MacMahon said the Houston Rockets “want to make a big move on the trade market” this summer. Perhaps they could turn to someone from their own backyard.

Houston native Jimmy Butler is the kind of player who can help the Rockets make the playoffs next season. If the Miami Heat can’t meet Butler’s contract demands and are forced to trade him, the Rockets are loaded with young players and assets that could make for a compelling return.

It’s no secret that the Rockets are under pressure to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2020. The additions of Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks last summer helped them improve their record to 19 wins but, at 41-41, they still missed the match. -in tournament by five matches.

The Heat, meanwhile, capped off an injury-plagued season by losing to the Boston Celtics in the first round of the playoffs in five games. Butler, who only played in 60 games in the regular season, missed the entire series due to a sprained MCL he suffered during Miami’s play-in game against the 76ers.

Butler is eligible to sign a two-year, $113 million extension this summer, but Heat president Pat Riley didn’t seem excited about the idea of ​​negotiating a new contract after the season Butler had during his tenure. end of season press conference. Questions about Butler’s future have fueled speculation that he could be traded.

In a fake exchange described by Launderer’s Reportthe Heat would get a former second overall pick and third overall pick in this draft to help revamp the roster.

The Houston Rockets receive: Jimmy Butler and the No. 15 pick in the 2024 draft

Miami Heat receives: Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks and the No. 3 pick in the 2024 draft

Would the Heat make this trade? Would the Rockets do it? Let’s explore both perspectives and evaluate the business idea.