Butler deals in the works
Capela, Gordon would be part of trade package
Amid growing confidence that they can land Jimmy Butler, their top freeagent target, the Rockets on Thursday prepared to make their pitch to the Philadelphia 76ers forward by lining up deals needed to make it possible to sign someone while already over the salary cap.
The Rockets expect to be “in the mix” for Butler, a person with knowledge of the team’s thinking said, and have stepped up efforts to arrange trades necessary to offer the 76ers a variety of sign-and-trade options to make it happen if that is Butler’s choice.
That individual said the Rockets “feel good” about their chances to sign the 29year-old Houston native, but that it is much too soon to have more of a sense about how he feels. Butler and his agent, Bernie Lee, returned this week from a trip to Brazil in time to take meetings, beginning 5 p.m. Sunday when free agency begins.
The Rockets would have to give up center Clint Capela and guard Eric Gordon, with the Rockets hoping to offer either a direct sign-and-trade with Philadelphia or a three-team deal that would provide a sizable trade exception that Philadelphia could consider valuable to reload if Butler leaves.
Rockets forward P.J. Tucker is not expected to be a part of those scenarios.
The Rockets hope to ac-
quire Butler in the sort of arrangement in which they added Chris Paul. Paul opted into the final season of his contract to allow the Los Angeles Clippers to trade him two years ago. An individual with knowledge of Butler’s thinking said Butler will become a free agent.
The Rockets’ hope is that Butler chooses them and lets the Sixers know he is leaving for either Houston or a team with cap space, leading them to choose to work with the Rockets on a deal. The Sixers have considered retaining Butler and forward Tobias Harris, their top free-agent priorities.
The Rockets are so determined to focus their initial free-agency efforts on landing Butler that they are willing to be hard-capped (in which teams may not exceed an “apron” of about $6 million over the luxury tax line) next season, which would severely limit their flexibility.
That also would take their own many trade exceptions out of play as they would need to dramatically rebuild their depth with relatively limited resources.
Though the addition of Butler would give the Rockets a longterm star-caliber player as opposed to Gordon, who is entering the final season of his contract, they would have to take a step back at center where Capela has steadily improved as a force on both ends of the floor.
The Rockets would have a taxpayer mid-level exception to use in free agency but would likely use it for the best player they can land regardless of position and seek at least a serviceable replacement for Capela.
Butler has not indicated a preference of where he wants to play, though on June 18, the day the Chronicle reported he was the Rockets’ “top target,” he posted a video of driving toward the “Be Someone” sign in downtown Houston.
Butler and Rockets star James Harden are particularly close, two individuals with knowledge of their thinking said. Butler raved about Harden in March.
“You can try to deny him, but he’ll find a way to get it and make an incredible play for himself or for somebody else,” Butler said then. “That’s just who he is as a player.
“That’s why he’s fun to watch and everybody respects him around the league.”
That feeling is mutual, with the Rockets believing Butler would help balance the rotation on both ends of the floor and would be a key in a postseason series.
Though recruiting Butler had been considered the Rockets’ top priority, they consistently thought they were much more likely to keep their starting five intact while adding one player with their mid-level exception.
That remains a strong, perhaps even strongest, possibility. But there was an increasing sense on Thursday that the hope to land Butler has become more viable, leading to stepped up efforts to enter the weekend armed with the deals needed to make that happen.