Western Conference team emerges as most-likely Jimmy Butler trade destination

The Miami Heat have made a habit of monitoring the league for the next disgruntled star, but there’s a young team in the Western Conference that may have their sights turned on the Heat’s own star.

According to NBA insider Marc Stein, rival front offices point to the Houston Rockets as a team that is ready to make a big trade, and could be targeting Phoenix’s Kevin Durant or Miami’s Jimmy Butler.

The Rockets are keeping an eye on Jimmy Butler's status with the Heat.

“More than one rival team consulted was hesitant to dismiss Houston's trade ambitions so readily, cautioning that the Rockets will continue to be monitored by competing front offices for potential big-swing activity,” Stein wrote in his latest newsletter. “Rumbles regarding the Rockets' ongoing interest in Durant nonetheless persist and are unlikely to fade as long as Durant's pal Ime Udoka is Houston's coach and an even closer friend (Royal Ivey) remains on Udoka's staff. 

“The Rockets are also increasingly mentioned by monitoring rivals as a team to watch should Miami ever reach a point that it chooses to explore its trade options with Jimmy Butler.”

This shouldn’t be surprising. The Rockets have made it clear that they want to make the playoffs and are willing to be aggressive on the trade market. They also have several intriguing young players, some of which who could be used to put together an enticing trade package.

(Stein’s report echoes Bill Simmons’ recent speculation that Houston could put together the best package for Butler.)

It’s early in the season and the Heat are 1-1, but Butler’s listless, three-point performance on opening night raised eyebrows around the league. Butler made up for it with a 26-point, eight-assist, eight-rebound outing against the Charlotte Hornets over the weekend, but his future remains in doubt.

After failing to land a contract extension this summer, Butler, 35, can opt out of his contract for next season and become an unrestricted free agent. It’s possible that this could be his last season in Miami.

If the Heat conclude that they cannot compete in the East with this current core, it could make sense to explore a trade for Butler before the trade deadline rather than risk losing him for nothing next summer.

The Heat are far from making that decision now, but rivals are watching how things play out in Miami.

P.J. Tucker reunion?

Also according to Stein, Miami, Milwaukee, Phoenix and Philadelphia are all teams that “have been mentioned as teams potentially interested in Tucker if the 39-year-old can extricate himself from the Clippers.”

Tucker has fallen out of the rotation in Los Angeles but it’s unlikely any of those teams would trade for his expiring $11.5 million salary. As Stein points out, the most plausible way for those teams to acquire Tucker is if he is traded to another team with cap space and then released by that team or if he accepts a buyout from the Clippers.