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Houston Rockets get:
Jimmy Butler

Miami Heat get:
Tari Eason
Cam Whitmore
Dillon Brooks
Amen Thompson
Jae'Sean Tate
2027 Unprotected Phoenix Suns First Round Draft Pick

-Rockets consolidate into one legitimate go-to culture-setting star without breaking the bank regarding draft picks.

-Heat retool and add assets to either build around or use for a follow-up deal.

Not giving all that up for an expiring 35 year old that has proven acquiring him can blow up in your face fast

K_chile22 wrote:Not giving all that up for an expiring 35 year old that has proven acquiring him can blow up in your face fast

Does removing the pick take off the sting a bit or is it just way off still?

Amen Thompson is a steady jumpshot away from being a star player. I'm not trading him in any deal unless it's a star in his prime.

Also in this trade you are giving up 4 rotation players and one that could be for 1 player. Houston doesn't really have a roster after this. Hard to do any move for Jimmy that doesn't include VanVleet.

Jody Smokz wrote:Amen Thompson is a steady jumpshot away from being a star player. I'm not trading him in any deal unless it's a star in his prime.

Also in this trade you are giving up 4 rotation players and one that could be for 1 player. Houston doesn't really have a roster after this. Hard to do any move for Jimmy that doesn't include VanVleet.

From the Heat's perspective, this would be the first piece I'd be okay removing.

Yup. The Heat and the Rockets aren't good trade partners right now. Houston also isn't an old star trade away from a championship run.

jbk1234 wrote:

Jody Smokz wrote:Amen Thompson is a steady jumpshot away from being a star player. I'm not trading him in any deal unless it's a star in his prime.

Also in this trade you are giving up 4 rotation players and one that could be for 1 player. Houston doesn't really have a roster after this. Hard to do any move for Jimmy that doesn't include VanVleet.

From the Heat's perspective, this would be the first piece I'd be okay removing.

Yea, expirings and a mid first.

That's about it.

NYG wrote:

K_chile22 wrote:Not giving all that up for an expiring 35 year old that has proven acquiring him can blow up in your face fast

Does removing the pick take off the sting a bit or is it just way off still?

Still well off.

One first, Brooks, Jeff, Tate, and one B-tier prospect (Whitmore, Eason, or Smith) would seem like the absolute top dollar I could imagine Houston paying, and that's only with an agreed-upon extension in place otherwise what would we be doing here?

Could Houston land Jimmy & Joel?

NYG wrote:

K_chile22 wrote:Not giving all that up for an expiring 35 year old that has proven acquiring him can blow up in your face fast

Does removing the pick take off the sting a bit or is it just way off still?

Still way off. I wouldn’t include any of the young players. This is not prime Butler.

cgf wrote:Could Houston land Jimmy & Joel?

No team in their right mind wants that combo

MoreyWins wrote:

cgf wrote:Could Houston land Jimmy & Joel?

No team in their right mind wants that combo

If it wins a ring

cgf wrote:

MoreyWins wrote:

cgf wrote:Could Houston land Jimmy & Joel?

No team in their right mind wants that combo

If it wins a ring

To win a ring they have to make the playoffs in the West. They also have to make it through four rounds without injury. The chance of that duo accomplishing that is slim to none. Between Embiid missing regular season games and what is known as "Regular Season Jimmy", it's not guaranteed they even make the playoffs.

MoreyWins wrote:

cgf wrote:

MoreyWins wrote:No team in their right mind wants that combo

If it wins a ring

To win a ring they have to make the playoffs in the West. They also have to make it through four rounds without injury. The chance of that duo accomplishing that is slim to none. Between Embiid missing regular season games and what is known as "Regular Season Jimmy", it's not guaranteed they even make the playoffs.

Depending on how much of that supporting cast the Rockets could keep, that's pretty comfortably a top 5 team in the west IMO. Maybe even a safe bet for a home playoff round if Denver implodes...especially if Jimmy feels rejuvenated by a new challenge & playing with Joel again / feels he needs to re-prove himself with a new organization & fanbase.

Let's say that it's Sengun + 1 young wing* + draft capital for Joel next summer, and Brooks + 1 young wing* + Sheppard + draft capital for Jimmy. Jimmy, Joel, FVV, Smith, Green, and one of *Thompson/Eason/Whitmore; is one hell of a top 6.

I made one with Pelicans as 3rd team, Ingram to Heat:

Ingram to MIA
Butler to HOU
Brooks, Smith to NOP

As the base structure of the trade. Filled in for salaries and roster spots, luxury tax and apron:

NOP sends: Ingram, Theis, Jevonte Green
NOP gets: Brooks, Jabari Smith, Landale

HOU sends: Brooks, Smith, Tate, Landale
HOU gets: Butler, Theis, J. Richardson, Burks

MIA sends: Butler, J. Richardson, Burks
MIA gets: Ingram, Tate, Jevonte Green

Pelicans cash in on Ingram while they can, getting a potential core piece in Jabari Smith Jr. However, in order to make up for the uncertainty around Ingram's contract status and injury/playstyle concerns- they have to take on Brooks' contract to secure Smith Jr. Landale is a big body type they currently don't have.

Rockets get their guy in Butler for a relatively low acquisition cost. Upgrading from Brooks to Butler only costs them Jabari Smith Jr.- which I know some Rockets fans will disagree with trading him away. They get their tough vet leader and clutch closer who Udoka wants, while still keeping most of their young core.

Heat move on from the Butler experience and get back a semi-star in line with Bam's timeline. They bank on BI thriving in a new system with a defensive force like Bam and top coach in Spolestra. It's possible that they'd opt for the Brooks/Smith Jr. package directly with HOU, but Bam pushes for his more experienced hometown bro in Ingram to stay competitive. Jevonte Green is a Heat culture guy for sure.

I think the first and Thompson need to be removed.

babyjax13 wrote:I think the first and Thompson need to be removed.

Yea Amen seems like a keeper gem for them. Unprotected high variance future 1st also seems like too much for old Butler. Heat would have to be really high on Eason and/or Whitmore to accept that package with the unfavorable long-term contract off Brooks.

I wonder how high Rockets still are on Jabari and how available he would be? Seems like the conpromise prospect: more valuable than Eason/Whitmore but not untouchable like Amen.

No thanks. This just seems like a hodgepodge of meh and Amen Thompson who I'm not that high on...

BBallFreak wrote:No thanks. This just seems like a hodgepodge of meh and Amen Thompson who I'm not that high on...

Interesting. Seems to me like a more than generous offer with the Rockets being the one who decline. If that's not enough for Butler then I reckon he'll just stay with Miami (or leave in FA) because I highly doubt any team would beat that hypothetical offer.

The-Power wrote:

BBallFreak wrote:No thanks. This just seems like a hodgepodge of meh and Amen Thompson who I'm not that high on...

Interesting. Seems to me like a more than generous offer with the Rockets being the one who decline. If that's not enough for Butler then I reckon he'll just stay with Miami (or leave in FA) because I highly doubt any team would beat that hypothetical offer.

That's fine with me. I'd rather have that one good year of him than this hodgepodge of borderline NBA talent (other than Thompson, who I think will be an okay starter) and a middling first...

EDIT: And what really gets me about this is no one considers that Miami has to cut three players in order to make this work. Who are we cutting?

We have:
Rozier
Herro
Jovic
Bam
Highsmith
Burks
Jaquez
Ware
Robinson
Larrsson
Bryant
Love
Richardson

That's 13 guys without Butler as we currently only carry 14. We're being sent 5 guys. The only candidate is Bryant but he's currently in our rotation. This doesn't work!