Tragedy strikes the Rockets! Despite having a fairly young roster, they have been in incredible form so far and currently rank third in the West standings. And they are looking like legitimate contenders to win it all. However, the Rockets’ momentum could take a massive hit because their star player Jabari Smith Jr. has suffered an unfortunate injury that will force him to miss significant time.

Yes, as the Houston-based franchise was preparing to face the Celtics tonight, Smith fractured his left hand during the shoot-around. Addressing the incident, Ime Udoka said, “At some point in practice got hit on the hand — very minimal and the pain got worse… and got it looked at, checked and found (it’s broken).” As per the head coach, the youngster fractured a metacarpal and will undergo surgery to fix it.

However, Udoka is waiting for a second opinion before scheduling the procedure. Sure enough, Jabari is expected to miss four to eight weeks of action, considering the recovery process. Obviously, the potential two-month hiatus is a massive blow for the team because Smith has become a key part of the rotation and is averaging 11.9 points and nearly seven rebounds this season. Until he returns, Udoka revealed that Amen Thompson will replace him in the starting lineup.

Since getting drafted third overall two years ago, Jabari has been a permanent starter for the Rockets and is a major reason for the team’s meteoric rise to success. But should they consider trading him for a bigger superstar?

Could Jabari Smith Jr.’s injury lead to Jimmy Butler pursuit?

Well, the Rockets are winning and Udoka made it clear that the team has no intention of breaking up its young core. But despite the regular season success, many believe that they still need one superstar to turn them into legitimate title contenders. Of course, the Rockets have already given massive extensions to Alperen Sengun and Jalen Green, solidifying them as future stars of the franchise. So, shopping away Jabari Smith Jr., who will also be up for an extension next summer, to acquire a bigger star might not be a bad option.

And there is a superstar who might be willing to join the team. Yes, we are referring to Jimmy Butler, who demanded a trade from Miami after his shocking confession last night, “I want to see me get my joy back from playing basketball. Wherever that maybe, we’ll find out here pretty soon… I wanna be back to somewhere dominant and I wanna hoop.”

Houston could be the perfect destination for Butler, especially because he was born there, and returning to his hometown could bring his joy back.

Sure, the Rockets would have to give up more assets, along with Jabari, to make room for Butler’s $48.7 million salary. But the move would make them instant title contenders as Butler is a proven playoff superstar who has been to the NBA Finals twice. And pairing him with young studs like Sengun and Green could help the Rockets reach the mountaintop.

Do you think the Rockets should consider making Pat Riley an offer to acquire Butler?