At 22-11 on the season, the Houston Rockets are in an excellent spot. They have one of the more promising young cores in the NBA, already have one of the league’s best defenses and are led by Ime Udoka, one of the most demanding coaches in the Association.
There have been some growing pains, but overall it has been smooth sailing. Amen Thompson’s 3-point shot has improved but is not reliable and Jalen Green is an awkward fit in their rotations, but results speak for themselves and Houston looks poised to go on a deep playoff run.
Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks are both vocal locker-room leaders, but neither of them has made it to the NBA Finals as a first option. VanVleet won it all with the Toronto Raptors in 2019, but Kawhi Leonard, Pascal Siakam, Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka did a lot of the heavy lifting.
With draft picks, young talents and team-friendly contracts to trade, the Rockets have been linked to three superstars at some point this season: Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jimmy Butler. Durant and Antetokounmpo are unlikely to be traded, but Butler has made it very clear he doesn’t want to end the season with the Miami Heat.
However, recent reports suggest that Butler’s interest in the Rockets is not mutual.
“Aside from needing to tear apart their roster to make the money work for Butler, league sources told ClutchPoints that Dallas holds no interest in pursuing this scenario right now,” wrote ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel on Friday. “The same can be said about the Rockets, who are prioritizing their draft capital and young assets to make a run at a potential superstar who becomes available during the offseason.”
“With a plethora of first-round draft picks moving forward, notably ones by way of the Suns, Houston is in a perfect spot to pursue the cream of the crop, starting with Kevin Durant if there is a fallout in Phoenix given their struggles. At this time, there aren’t any indications suggesting that the Rockets want to pursue Butler.”
If the Rockets were in the Play-In Tournament and clearly needed a boost, perhaps a deal might manifest itself. Instead, the Rockets are content to stay the course and build organically. They have a very clear timeline that Butler simply doesn’t fit.
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