Rockets To Make Run At Heat’s Jimmy Butler? Yeah, Maybe

The Rockets have taken a step toward building around their young core, locking in rookie-scale extensions for Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun. These moves suggest Houston may no longer be a major cap space player in the 2025 NBA offseason, but it’s clear they’re still dreaming big about landing a star.

For now, the Rockets are content to watch, wait, and plan for the right time to strike. And that time could come sooner than some think, as relayed by NBA insider Marc Stein of The Stein Line.

Kevin Durant remains on their radar — a well-known Houston target. But another intriguing name has surfaced: Jimmy Butler.

Butler and the Heat didn’t reach an extension this offseason, and with a player option for next year, Butler could either hit the free-agent market or opt-in and explore a trade. Should he choose the latter, Houston may emerge as a top destination, Stein noted.

Butler, of course, hails from the Houston area. Combine that with coach Ime Udoka’s desire to bring in established veterans, and you have a potential late-career homecoming that could fit like a glove. Adding Butler’s grit to a core of Green, Sengun, and Fred VanVleet could make the Rockets a legitimate threat in the West.

The takeaway? Houston isn’t quite ready to make a splash, but they’re eyeing the future. Butler, Durant, or whoever the next star to shake free might be … the Rockets are positioning themselves to pounce. It’s a strategy that could pay dividends, and when the moment comes, don’t be surprised if Houston finds itself right in the mix.

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