Getty Gallery: 5/5
Houston Rockets/Philadelphia 76ers
I decided to put these two teams together for one reason – they're both longshots to land Butler. But the reason behind the two teams not being popular bets to get the job done is very different on each side.
For the Rockets, they would need to really get creative on making a deal, which is something ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski pointed out. Realistically, they could make a deal to bring Butler to town happen, but they'd need a third team in the mix.
Bryan Kalbrosky of Hoops Hype offered an interesting breakdown of the situation and cited an interesting quote on both the Rockets and Sixers situations in a Butler deal. As he revealed, Dan Woike spoke to Chris Mannix of Yahoo Sports, who pointed out the thought behind a win-now mentality which would utilize Butler as a one-year rental.
“In some ways, he’s almost more attractive to me as a rental for a team like if Houston can figure something out or a team like Philadelphia. To me [with] those teams, he may even make more sense in that ‘we’re going to have you here for a year and we’re going to try to win a title and then we’re not going to give you that max’ than he does for a team that’s looking at him as ‘we’re going to want this guy to be the face of our franchise for the next five years.'”
The Rockets need to find a way to free up the cap space and if a three-team deal gets on the table with the right suitor, this becomes an interesting conversation. Whether or not that happens is the big question.
As for the Sixers, they'd have to move Wilson Chandler's contract in a deal, and also some additional money, but the real question is what assets they'd include. I previously touched on the fact that they'd be unlikely to go crazy sending assets away, and with the Timberwolves' high asking price, it makes this deal highly unlikely.
UPDATE
According to The Athletic's Sam Amick, the Sixers are "completely out" of the Butler trade talks. Amick states talks between the two teams never had any traction after the original talks. This goes hand-in-hand with the expectation that the Sixers were unwilling to give up much in terms of assets or young talent in exchange for Butler.
What Could Be Included in a Jimmy Butler-Rockets/Sixers Deal?
A deal with the Rockets would surely have to start around Eric Gordon, which is something Kalbrosky broke down on Hoops Hype. His thoughts included having Gordon, as well as additional salary filler in the mix to help make it happen.
"The Rockets could offer Eric Gordon, although would need to add more salary filler (e.g. PJ Tucker) to fit within the CBA. Daryl Morey will assuredly be interested in pushing his team closer to a title." Kalbrosky writes.
Based on the salary cap situation, it becomes incredibly hard to pinpoint what type of deal the Rockets would offer. With a third team having to come into the mix, that would likely impact how much is included in a potential package. Obviously, James Harden, Chris Paul, and Clint Capela would be off the table, but it'd be worth hearing what other names Houston won't move off.
The Sixers side features Chandler as a key part but then comes down to whether or not the team would trade Dario Saric or Markelle Fultz. They've put a lot of belief in Fultz's rebuilt jump shot after an offseason working with NBA player development specialist Drew Hanlen.
Honestly, I have a hard time seeing the Sixers jumping on board and choosing to include either player at this point for a potential one-year rental. Barring new general manager Elton Brand believing Butler is literally the piece that can get the job done this season, they'll likely stand pat.
Both the Rockets and Sixers are unlikely, but Houston seems interested in continuing to make a push, so we certainly can't rule them out of the Butler sweepstakes yet.
Specific Trade Possibility
*We used ESPN's Trade Machine to evaluate a possible deal, and this worked out for both sides.
Timberwolves Receive
– Eric Gordon
– P.J. Tucker
– Zach Randolph
– Rockets first-round pick
Rockets Receive
– Jimmy Butler
Kings Receive
– Gorgui Dieng
– Timberwolves second-round pick
I brought in a third team here, and with the Kings going for a full youth movement, II think they'd be fine sending Zach Randolph to the Timberwolves. While Randolph isn't what he used to be, the veteran could still be a nice addition for Minnesota.
Tack on Eric Gordon and P.J. Tucker along with a pick, and it would be interesting to see how all sides would feel about this.
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Jimmy Butler Trade: 4 Realistic Offers for Timberwolves Guard