Two months into the 2024-25 NBA season, many stars are already finding themselves in the rumor mill. Players like Giannis Antetokounmpo and LeBron James are rumored trade candidates, though both players will likely remain with their current teams. On the other hand, Jimmy Butler and Brandon Ingram are more likely on their way out. The trade deadline is still a couple of months away. However, this will not stop the rumor mill from being active. In addition to many players being involved in potential trades, there are teams out there as well who may be looking to make a move. Recently, ESPN’s Tim Bontemps (subscription required) named the team most likely to acquire the next available star via a trade–the Houston Rockets.
On the team side, the Houston Rockets — with their combination of a coach who players are excited to play for in Ime Udoka, their plethora of young players and a bunch of draft picks — are the runaway pick as the team to watch when the next star becomes available.
“The whole landscape of the league,” an Eastern Conference scout said, “could change based off what they do.”
Houston Rockets ‘Runaway Pick’ to Trade for NBA Star
Houston Rockets Are Unlikely to Trade for Jimmy Butler
One major player linked to the Rockets is Butler. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Butler has unofficially requested a trade away from the Miami Heat. Furthermore, Charania named the Rockets as a team Butler wants to go to. The Heat star is from Texas, and it could make sense from a basketball perspective as well. However, Rockets GM Rafael Stone recently said he does not anticipate making any major roster moves soon.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Miami Heat are open to listening to offers for Jimmy Butler.
Houston’s General Manager, Rafael Stone, shares his thoughts with @TermineRadio on trade speculation involving the Rockets. pic.twitter.com/cCclysaUZF
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) December 10, 2024
“Of course, my job is to be open to everything, so I’m not going to not do my job,” Stone said. “We like this team. We definitely do not intend to change anything, and I would be shocked if something changes this season. We like where we’re at. We want to continue [to] develop our guys full stop. Will I listen to other teams? Of course I will. That’s my job. But again, no, there’s no part of me, there’s no part of our decision-making process that suggests we’re looking to do anything big now or in the near term.”
The Last Word
Even without a blockbuster trade, the Rockets are in a great position. 30 games in, they are 21-9 and own the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference. Furthermore, they rank as the second-best defensive team in the league, only behind the Oklahoma City Thunder. After failing to make the playoffs each year since 2020, the Rockets are in prime position to end their drought. It remains unknown if the Rockets are championship contenders. Regardless, at this point, they have given fans reasons to believe they are. If they execute a major trade in the near future, they will remain a team to watch in the title picture.
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