3 Ways the Heat's offseason could have played out if they traded Jimmy Butler

Scenario 2: Butler is traded to the Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets were reportedly interested in making a major move that could have pushed them into the playoff mix next season, but that never materialized. 

The only addition Houston made was acquiring AJ Griffin in a deal with the Atlanta Hawks. The rest of their offseason was highlighted by shorting the Phoenix Suns.

Rockets coach Ime Udoka and owner Tilman Fertitta have an appetite to make the playoffs now. Butler would have helped them do that. Would they have made a play for Butler? 

It’s unclear, but the Rockets look like a team ripe to make a blockbuster deal at some point soon. They have oodles of valuable draft picks and many (maybe too many?) interesting young players. 

Houston would have been the best trade partner to propel Miami’s rebuild. A deal centered around Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, Steven Adams and the No. 3 pick in June’s draft would have been a solid starting point.

That would have given the Heat the following 10 players: Green, Rozier, Herro, Richardson, Brooks, Robinson, Jaquez, Jovic, Adams and Adebayo. Twelve if they re-signed Love and Highsmith. If they used the third and 15th picks on Reed Sheppard and Ware and their second-round pick on Pelle Larsson, that brings the roster to 15.

That roster doesn’t make much sense – it’s heavy on smallish guards and short on forwards and big men. The Heat might have been motivated to trade Rozier, Herro or Robinson and rebalance the depth chart. That much is difficult to project.

But this Butler trade would have given the Heat six players under 27 to build around: Green, Sheppard, Herro, Jaquez, Jovic and Adebayo.