Surprise NBA team could enter sweepstakes for Jimmy Butler?

Dec 16, 2023; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) dribbles the ball up the court against the Chicago Bulls during the second half at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Jimmy Butler has spent just one-and-a-half of his 14 career seasons in the Western Conference, but that number could soon be going up.

Veteran NBA writer Marc Stein reported to Substack on Sunday that the Houston Rockets have increasingly been mentioned by rivals as a team to watch with a possible trade pursuit of the Miami Heat star Butler. Stein notes that Butler was born and raised in the Houston suburb of Tomball (only some 35 miles away from where the Rockets play).

The six-time All-Star Butler is in the final year of his contract with the Heat and has passed on signing an extension to this point. That has led to some whispers that Butler could be available for the taking, either ahead of the February trade deadline or as an unrestricted free agent in the summer.

Still, the Rockets would be a very surprising suitor for the 35-year-old Butler since he does not really seem to fit their timeline. Houston is led by young stars Alperen Sengun (22), Jalen Green (22), and Jabari Smith Jr. (21), and even their veterans are younger ones such as Fred VanVleet (30) and Dillon Brooks (28) who are complementary players rather than alphas like Butler.

The homecoming storyline might be a nice one for Butler as he approaches the twilight of his NBA career. But considering where the Rockets are at developmentally right now, there is another suitor in the West that makes much more sense for Butler.