Rockets Bring in Superstar Forward in Latest Trade Idea

For the first time in seemingly ages, the Houston Rockets have a very talented roster. The team is flush with young talent, which is usually the case after a roster teardown and organizational overhaul.

The team also prioritized adding veterans last offseason, specifically with championship experience or at least ones that were a part of deep playoff runs. The team lacks a closer and/or go-to player in crunch time, which is difficult to find.

Granted, the Rockets certainly have the assets to make a move for a player of their liking, but such a player would require the franchise to ship off a good player.

You generally have to trade a good package to net a good return. This is amplified when you're trying to add a legitimate star.

However, there's a shortage of available stars, as teams don't usually want to give those players up, if they can prevent it.

Alot of times, contract negotiations make it impossible for teams to keep their star players, though. In Bleacher Report's latest mock trade, the Rockets are the beneficiary of such a situation, as they land Jimmy Butler, due to the Miami Heat not wanting to meet his asking price on a new deal.

The terms of their proposed trade are below:

Rockets land: Jimmy Butler and pick #15 in this year's draft
Heat land: Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, pick #3 in this year's draft

The writer's reasoning is also included below:

"Those anchored to the idea of teams spending four or five first-rounders to land a superstar might balk at Houston's outgoing package here. But Butler is only available because he's angling for an extension the Heat aren't keen to offer, and that has to lower the price for the acquiring team in any trade.

Add to that uncertainty about Butler holding up for a full season, likely decline as he gets deeper into his 30s and his general irascibility, and you've got enough drawbacks for the Rockets to get away with an offer like this.

Green averaged 27.7 points per game as Houston went 13-2 in March, but he's also extension-eligible and won't be cheap much longer. One imagines the Heat would be more comfortable giving long-term cash to an early-20s player on the rise, though.

Add in Brooks, who would fit perfectly into #HeatCulture, a 12-spot jump to No. 3 in the draft, and Miami comes out of this looking pretty good—particularly if it's itching to put a period on the Butler era.

Meanwhile, the Rockets take their big swing."

Although the Rockets don't have to give up much of their capital and/or young talent, this deal would be a major dice roll on the Rockets' part. Butler is turning 35 in three months and he's had a history of injuries, as the writer explains here.

Granted, they've wanted Butler for awhile now, dating back to the 2018-19 season and even thought they were on the cusp of landing him in the 2019 offseason. Sometimes that makes all the difference in the world.

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