GM Daryl Morey leaves no rock unturned in Houston’s NBA championship quest.
The cap-strapped Houston Rockets are putting a full court press on Jimmy Butler. Woj dropped his latest offseason bomb on ESPN this morning. According to his sources Rockets, GM Daryl Morey plans to pursue a sign-in-trade deal for the two-way small forward/shooting guard.
Jimmy B, Harden and CP3 isn’t the equivalent of Migos, but they can certainly be The Lox. They got the money and the power, but still seek championship respect.
The Lox feat. Lil Kim DMX-Money Power Respect (HD)
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Besides CP3 and Harden’s both have that late 90s early 2000s style of hoop grit. They don’t favor the isolation, three-point dominant game. They also defend and have nasty, combative attitudes. Add Harden’s futuristic ball-control-to-the-hole mentality and it’s definitely an eclectic mix, but Butler undoubtedly upgrades Houston’s chances of advancing to the Western Conference Finals next season.
Adrian Wojnarowski said that Houston doesn’t have the salary cap to go chase another max free agent, but Morey’s “going to try and get Jimmy Butler.”
What Houston needs to do is convince Butler to force or push a sign-in-trade with the Sixers and take a “$30-40 million haircut,” as ESPN’s Jalen Rose described it, to play in his hometown.
If he wants out and is willing to leave a heavy bag on the table, Butler has some leverage in this situation, but it involves a bit of dirty politics.
Butler could threaten to leave in free agency and sign with another team if the Sixers don’t trade him to Houston for assets now. The trade would reportedly involve Clint Capela, Eric Gordon, and cash considerations.
Not sure if Butler wants to go that route. His a[pproach has been wearing thin on teams in the past few seasons. Butler is already notorious for having an abrasive locker room decorum. He’s nearing the end of his prime years and doesn’t want to develop a bad reputation. He needs a home.
NBA Free Agency Sleuth Austin on Twitter
A well-connected individual told me that Jimmy Butler has expressed interest in playing in Miami or Philly. If Philly offered the 5th year, he’d likely stay. Neither Houston or LA were mentioned.
The Rockets will be the 29-year-old All-Star’s third team in the last three seasons. Butler knows this, so maybe a 5-year, max deal offer from Elton Brand will convince him to stay in Philly.
