“Guess I got to hoop, got to prove that I am a major part of winning and rightfully so” – This is what Jimmy Butler said, stepping into an uncertain phase with the Miami Heat. Unfortunately, things didn’t certainly go in his favor, as he produced his lowest average in the last 5 seasons with 19.0 ppg. But that’s not how you judge Jimmy Buckets, as he has a separate reputation for his playoff displays. Nevertheless, he has attracted a lot of trade rumors, and the Houston Rockets GM, Rafael Stone, dropped an interesting statement.

In the 2024 off-season, everyone expected the Heat to extend their contract with Jimmy Butler, as he had only one season left for free agency. The Miami side kept hesitating and ultimately they entered the season without taking any action. This ultimately sparked trade rumors surrounding the star forward. It’s either a trade before the deadline or a grab during his free agency. Importantly, several rumors have largely tied the Rockets and the odds also consistently favor the H-Town, as per Bovado.

Above all, Shams Charania reported that the Heat were open to listening to offers involving Jimmy Butler. But amidst this situation, Rafael Stone has dropped mixed signals. Firstly, Stone made a stern statement, saying that the team isn’t disrupting its core. “We like this team, we definitely do not intend to change it. I would be shocked if something changes this season. We like where we are at, we want to continue develop our guys, you know, and full stop,” said the Rockets GM.

In the same breath, Stone also said, “Will I listen to other teams? Of course, I will. That’s my job.” So, we are not sure whether the Rockets are definitely interested in Jimmy Butler or not. The Houston GM hasn’t denied anything outright. Or, is it a trading strategy to divert the competing teams? JB indeed isn’t someone who won’t go off the trade market without creating havoc.

If the Rockets go for Jimmy Butler, who will be sacrificed?

First of all, let’s completely hear what Rafael Stone said. How confident are the Rockets with their core team? Well, they look extremely confident. Why wouldn’t they? After not qualifying for the playoffs last season, they’ve made it to the top-4 in the West.

Speaking of the core, Stone said, “There’s no part of me, there’s no part of our decision-making process that suggests we’re looking to do anything big now or in the near term. We definitely want this group to be as good as it can be this year. Then we will evaluate things at the end of the year, but the hope is very much that this core group can lead us to where we wanna go, and that from the transactional perspective, we’re largely done.” ‘Hope’ is the key word here.

However, Jimmy Butler can certainly help them to do the thinkable, by taking them to the Finals. So, the Houston team would have to give up some core assets to get JB on their side. The two options that probably would be sent out are Jalen Green and Jabari Smith Jr.

Considering Green’s explosions in his sophomore year, the star isn’t as consistent as the team would’ve liked him to be. But the hoopster indeed has a better average than Butler this season with 19.5 ppg! Meanwhile, Smith Jr. also hasn’t had a good season, his averages have dropped compared to his previous season. So, what do you think? Will the Houston Rockets go all out to get this shockingly ‘available’ prized possession? Or will they ride with their core team? Let us know in the comments below.