The Houston Rockets, seeing an opportunity to go for a championship next season with the Golden State Warriors dealing with injuries, are trying to pull off a big move this summer.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Rockets are trying to convince Butler to persuade the Philadelphia 76ers to work a sign-and-trade deal with them.
A report last week said that the Rockets were expected to pursue Butler aggressively. Considering the Rockets’ lack of salary-cap space, many wondered how exactly they would make such a pursuit. But Woj says their effort would involve having Butler ask Philly for a sign-and-trade with Houston.
The Rockets could let the 76ers sign Butler to a larger deal using his Bird rights and then take on his contract, potentially offering them Clint Capela and Eric Gordon to make the salaries match in a deal.
Even though the Rockets’ plan sounds dandy, the big question is whether Philly would have any motivation to make such a deal. The Sixers reportedly prepared to make a big effort to try to retain Butler. If Butler wants to leave, the Sixers might prefer to use the available money to re-sign Tobias Harris and/or JJ Redick rather than take on Capela, Gordon or anyone else Houston offers. In that case, Butler would be able to sign elsewhere, but not with Houston due to its lack of cap space.
The Rockets would require cooperation from the Sixers to make this happen, and there’s no reason to believe they would get it.
