<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mavericks-news-dallas-jimmy-butler-trade-rumors-claim-ex-player');   ga('set', 'title', 'Jimmy Butler Mavericks trade rumors draw eye-opening claim from ex-player');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Mavericks-news-Dallas-Jimmy-Butler-trade-rumors-draw-eye-opening-claim-from-ex-player.jpg"></figure><h1>Jimmy Butler Mavericks trade rumors draw eye-opening claim from ex-player</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-12T11:13:51-08:00">December 12th, 11:13am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-12T11:13:51-08:00">December 12th, 11:13am</time><address><a>Preston Byers</a>Preston Byers is an experienced writer and journalist who currently serves as an associate editor for ClutchPoints and as a staff writer at The Vindicator and Tribune Chronicle, where he covers sports in the Mahoning Valley. Previously, Preston worked as an associate editor for Dot Esports and a site expert for FanSided's Union and Blue.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Dallas Mavericks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Jimmy Butler is reportedly available to be traded, and the Miami Heat star may <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-jimmy-butlers-preferred-trade-destinations-with-heat-open-to-offers">manage to return to his home state of Texas</a>. But one former player says it would be better for Butler to land with the Dallas Mavericks instead of the Houston Rockets if he were to be traded.</p><p>Chandler Parsons, who played 10 seasons in the NBA, including two with the Mavericks, said Dallas <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1867274421351637151" rel="noopener">would be a better spot</a> for 35-year-old Butler even with the Rockets’ impressive play this year.</p><p>“I love the Rockets move, but they have something good going. I don’t like to shake it up when something’s good going,” Parsons said on FanDuel TV’s ‘Run It Back’. “And when you look at a team like this, [if] Jimmy Butler goes to the Rockets, I think he thinks he’s the number one option. And I think that’s not the best situation for Jimmy Butler right now. To me, it’s Dallas. You go there, and there’s a pecking order. It’s known; this is Luka’s team and then there’s Kyrie, and then there’s Jimmy Butler. And weaknesses for their team is defense, so I think he can provide them a lot of things, fill a lot of holes that they don’t have quite yet.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">"Jimmy Butler goes to the Rockets, I think he thinks he's the number one option, that's not the best situation… To me, it's Dallas, he would give [Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving] exactly what they need."</p><p>– Chandler Parsons 👀</p><p>(via <a href="https://twitter.com/RunItBackFDTV?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RunItBackFDTV</a>)<a href="https://t.co/TBIVvTTIjA">pic.twitter.com/TBIVvTTIjA</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1867274421351637151?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 12, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><h2><b>Is a Mavericks trade for Heat star Jimmy Butler even possible?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Jimmy_Butler_trying_to_get_past_Mavericks_guard_Kyrie_Irving.jpeg"><figcaption>Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>The<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mavericks-jimmy-butler-trade-heat-almost-impossible"> problem with a potential Mavericks trade</a> for Butler, as Parsons went on to mention, is that Dallas would have to part with one or multiple key pieces in exchange for Butler.</p><p>Thanks to the signing of Klay Thompson over the offseason, Dallas is hard-capped at the $178.1 million first apron, meaning it cannot exceed that cap figure for the entirety of the season. Currently, the Mavericks sit about $526,000 below the first apron, meaning any trade for Butler would effectively have to match outgoing salaries with the $48.8 million Butler is making this season.</p><p>To reach that figure would involve packaging multiple players, including possibly Klay Thompson ($15.9 million), PJ Washington (15.5 million), Daniel Gafford ($13.4 million), Maxi Kleber ($11 million), or Naji Marshall ($8.6 million). Neither Marshall nor Thompson can be traded until Dec. 15 since they each signed deals with Dallas in the offseason.</p><p>Whether Dallas is a realistic destination or not, it would appear Butler’s time in Miami is coming to an end. While he can pick up a $52.4 million player option during the summer, the relationship between the Heat and Butler seems more strained than ever despite two NBA Finals appearances since Butler arrived in 2019.</p><p>After the Heat’s first-round playoff loss to the Boston Celtics, Butler, who missed the series due to a sprained MCL, said the Celtics “would be at home” had he played. Shortly thereafter, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/heat-news-pat-riley-warns-jimmy-butler-to-keep-mouth-shut-after-viral-celtics-comments">Pat Riley, the Heat’s chief decisionmaker</a> and former head coach, did not hold back in his criticism of Butler’s comments.</p><p>“I thought, ‘Is that Jimmy trolling or is that Jimmy serious?’ If you’re not on the court playing against Boston or on the court playing against the New York Knicks, you should keep your mouth shut on the criticism of those teams,” Riley said after the season.</p><p>At that time, Riley also seemed to place an emphasis on night-to-night availability for the Heat’s players. Since joining the Heat, he has never played 65 games in a single season. Butler has played in 17 of Miami’s 22 games so far this season, putting him on pace for 63 games, three more than he played last season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Jimmy Butler Mavericks trade rumors draw eye-opening claim from ex-player

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/rockets-perfect-jimmy-butler-trade-offer-amid-heat-rumors');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rockets’ perfect Jimmy Butler trade offer amid Heat rumors');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Rockets-perfect-Jimmy-Butler-trade-offer-amid-Heat-rumors.jpg"></figure><h1>Rockets’ perfect Jimmy Butler trade offer amid Heat rumors</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-11T08:46:30-08:00">December 11th, 8:46am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-11T08:46:30-08:00">December 11th, 8:46am</time><address><a href="https://letterboxd.com/splooshpuhrty/films/by/your-rating/">Jedd Pagaduan</a>Jedd Pagaduan is a certified Clippers and Gunners fan, which means he's a very sports-traumatized individual. He now writes about sports instead as a form of therapy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>On Tuesday morning, a report came out from Shams Charania of ESPN that the Miami Heat are finally listening to trade overtures for Jimmy Butler, their franchise cornerstone and best player for five whole seasons and counting. Butler, however, has a list of teams that he’d prefer to go to in the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-jimmy-butlers-preferred-trade-destinations-with-heat-open-to-offers">event of a trade</a>, as he would like to play for the Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks, or Golden State Warriors.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rockets-news-gm-pours-cold-water-on-jimmy-butler-trade-rumors">Rockets stand out</a> as an interesting potential destination for the 35-year-old forward. They are crying out for a reliable go-to-guy who can create his own shot from the perimeter, and at this point, Jalen Green isn’t quite at the level yet that’s needed for Houston to become a legitimate contending team in the loaded Western Conference, strong start to the 2024-25 season notwithstanding.</p><p>Their moves this past offseason also show that they are angling for a move for the league’s next available star, and Butler could be the one to fit the bill. He is from Houston as well, so the Rockets will gain the additional fanfare that comes with bringing in a hometown hero.</p><p>The only question now is just how much the Rockets will be willing to give the Heat in a potential Butler trade. Butler is 35, is injury-prone, and has been showing signs of decline. Moreover, he is in the final year of his contract (he has a player option worth $52 million for next season that he is likely to decline in search of a longer-term deal) and he’s <a href="https://www.spotrac.com/nba/player/_/id/8081/jimmy-butler" rel="noopener">making $48.8 million</a> — making salary-matching quite the chore.</p><p>It may take talent to receive talent in return, but the Rockets have to be very cautious when it comes to giving up too much for a star whose best days might be in the rearview mirror.</p><h2><b>Rockets go all-in on Jimmy Butler</b></h2><p><b>Rockets trade: Jabari Smith Jr., Steven Adams, Jae’Sean Tate, Jeff Green, Aaron Holiday, 2027 HOU first-round pick, two second-round picks</b></p><p><b>Heat trade: Jimmy Butler</b></p><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Jimmy-Butler-during-Cavs-Heat-game.jpg"><figcaption>Rhona Wise-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Any team would want to have Jimmy Butler on their corner by the time the playoffs roll around. The Rockets most certainly would; he fits their defense-first identity to a T, and if there’s anyone best-suited to lead the team on both ends of the court, even in an offensive environment that doesn’t have the best spacing, it’s the 35-year-old forward out of Marquette.</p><p>But the Rockets will have to part ways with a prized member of their young core to do so. Jalen Green is a logical candidate, but his contract extension makes trading him away this season very difficult. Moreover, Green, despite his inefficiencies, remains very much beloved within the organization, with the team having high hopes for the 22-year-old’s development.</p><p>Alperen Sengun, of course, is a non-starter and the Heat will have to offer Bam Adebayo just to make the Rockets think about parting ways with the 22-year-old center. Amen Thompson has been turning heads all season long with his incredible defense, and his offense has been coming a long way.</p><p>This makes Jabari Smith Jr. the most obvious trade chip for the Rockets; the third overall pick of the 2022 NBA Draft is being de-prioritized in the rotation, as he is posting the lowest usage rate of his career this season. Moreover, the Rockets have a few obvious candidates to take his spot in the starting lineup in the event of a departure, with Tari Eason and even Thompson being very capable of emerging as the team’s starter at the four.</p><p>Smith’s shooting and defense at the four makes him a hand-and-glove fit in the Heat organization, and perhaps he could improve his play with a more featured role in Miami.</p><p>The Heat could ask the Rockets for Dillon Brooks in any trade, but Brooks has been instrumental in turning the team’s culture around. Brooks is also a playoff-viable weapon and would spare Butler from the responsibility of guarding the team’s opposing player (Thompson could do this as well), and having as many wings who are capable of logging a heavy workload in the playoffs is a recipe for success — just ask the most recent NBA champion Boston Celtics.</p><p>In turn, the Rockets will give the Heat two second-round picks in addition to their 2027 first-rounder, with Miami perhaps haggling to turn those second-rounders into another first-round asset.</p><p>The Heat may also ask for Cam Whitmore, but Smith is a good enough prize on his own, and it’s not like they have too much leverage in this situation. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-jimmy-butlers-preferred-trade-destinations-with-heat-open-to-offers">Rockets can afford to be patient</a>, however, and wait for Butler to fall into their laps — especially when a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mavericks-jimmy-butler-trade-heat-almost-impossible">Mavericks trade is very unlikely</a> and any Warriors deal may have to include a prized youngster such as Jonathan Kuminga or Brandin Podziemski.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rockets’ perfect Jimmy Butler trade offer amid Heat rumors

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/rockets-news-gm-pours-cold-water-on-jimmy-butler-trade-rumors');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rockets GM pours cold water on Jimmy Butler trade rumors');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Rockets-news-GM-pours-cold-water-on-Jimmy-Butler-trade-rumors.jpg"></figure><h1>Rockets GM pours cold water on Jimmy Butler trade rumors</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-10T14:32:42-08:00">December 10th, 2:32pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-10T15:02:01-08:00">December 10th, 3:02pm</time><address><a>Zachary Weinberger</a>Zachary Weinberger joined ClutchPoints in October 2023 as a Miami Heat reporter as well as an Associate Editor. He graduated from Florida Atlantic University in 2022 after covering the school's athletic programs since his freshman year at the FAU University Press, where he was a Sports Editor and Editor-in-Chief. He then covered FAU Sports for The Palm Beach Post.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Rockets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Talking about the rumors that the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-jimmy-butlers-preferred-trade-destinations-with-heat-open-to-offers">Houston Rockets would be a preferred destination for Jimmy Butler</a> if he were to be traded by the Miami Heat, general manager Rafael Stone gave his opinion on the recent news.</p><p>As the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/warriors-vs-rockets-prediction-odds-pick-for-2024-nba-cup-quarterfinals">Rockets prepare to take on the Golden State Warriors</a> in the NBA Cup quarterfinals, Brown said on SiriusXM NBA Radio that he would be <a href="https://x.com/SiriusXMNBA/status/1866593331486339309" rel="noopener">“shocked if something changes this season.”</a></p><p>“I mean, 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. You know, we definitely do not intend to change anything. And I would be shocked if something changes this season.</p><p>“You know, we like where we’re at. We want to continue to develop our guys, you know, and full stop, and will I listen to other teams? Of course, I will. That’s my job, you know.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Miami Heat are open to listening to offers for Jimmy Butler.</p><p>Houston’s General Manager, Rafael Stone, shares his thoughts with <a href="https://twitter.com/TermineRadio?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TermineRadio</a> on trade speculation involving the Rockets. <a href="https://t.co/cCclysaUZF">pic.twitter.com/cCclysaUZF</a></p><p>— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/SiriusXMNBA/status/1866593331486339309?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 10, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p></figure><h2><b>Rockets’ Rafael Stone shuts down any Jimmy Butler talk</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Jimmy-Butler-on-Dec-7-2024.jpg"><figcaption>Jim Rassol-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>As the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rockets-news-ime-udoka-demands-alperen-sengun-get-european-out-of-game">Rockets are led by Alperen Sengun,</a> Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr., Dillon Brooks, and others, Brown likes where the current team is at in the present and how they can develop in the future. However, Stone would say that as a part of his job, due diligence is necessary, though still putting down the notion that a trade for Butler is happening.</p><p>“But again, no, there’s no part of me, there’s no part of our decision-making process that suggests that we’re looking to do anything big now or in the near term,” Stone said. “And you know…we want this group to be as good as it can be this year, and then we’ll evaluate things at the end of the year.</p><p>“But the hope is very much that this core group can lead us to where we want to go and that, from a transactional perspective, we’re largely done.”</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-rockets-mavericks-quietly-linked-potential-jimmy-butler-trade-pursuit">Rockets have been connected to Butler trade rumors</a> for a while now, especially since the Heat star is from the city and the team is on the come-up. At any rate, Houston is 16-8, which puts them third in the Western Conference as they prepare to take on the Warriors on Wednesday night.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rockets GM pours cold water on Jimmy Butler trade rumors

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba-rumors-jimmy-butlers-preferred-trade-destinations-with-heat-open-to-offers');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Jimmy Butler’s preferred trade destinations with Heat open to offers');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/NBA-rumors-Jimmy-Butlers-preferred-trade-destinations-with-Heat-open-to-offers.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Jimmy Butler’s preferred trade destinations with Heat open to offers</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-10T06:25:30-08:00">December 10th, 6:25am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-10T14:46:51-08:00">December 10th, 2:46pm</time><address><a>Zachary Weinberger</a>Zachary Weinberger joined ClutchPoints in October 2023 as a Miami Heat reporter as well as an Associate Editor. He graduated from Florida Atlantic University in 2022 after covering the school's athletic programs since his freshman year at the FAU University Press, where he was a Sports Editor and Editor-in-Chief. He then covered FAU Sports for The Palm Beach Post.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Dallas Mavericks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Miami Heat are open to the possibility of <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-rockets-mavericks-quietly-linked-potential-jimmy-butler-trade-pursuit">trading star Jimmy Butler</a>, who reportedly has three teams he would prefer to play for. This comes despite the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/heat-use-34-point-tyler-herro-explosion-to-take-down-no-1-cavs">Heat defeating the red-hot Cleveland Cavaliers</a> last Sunday as part of a three-game win streak.</p><p>“The Heat are open to listening to offers for Butler and making a deal if the proposal is right, <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/story/_/id/42878390/shams-charania-nba-pass-trade-intel-jimmy-butler-brandon-ingram-golden-state-warriors" rel="noopener">league sources told ESPN</a>,” ESPN writer Shams Charania said. “And Butler’s agent, Bernie Lee, has indicated in league circles that Butler is open to destinations such as two Texas teams (Houston Rockets and Dallas Mavericks) and the Golden State Warriors.”</p><p>This would not be the first time fans hear such teams as the Rockets, and Mavericks mentioned in connection to Butler, as Michael Sotto of HoopsHype said last Monday that the <a href="https://hoopshype.com/lists/top-nba-trade-candidates-for-the-2024-25-season/" rel="noopener">two are contenders for the star.</a></p><p>“Within league circles, there’s been quiet discourse about whether the Houston Rockets or Dallas Mavericks will eventually land Butler, a Texas native, should he and Miami decide to part ways,” Sotto reports. “For now, however, the Rockets are among the top teams with a young core, and the Mavericks remain a contender in the tightly competitive Western Conference.</p><p>“It’s also worth noting executives who’ve checked in on Butler got the impression that Miami wants to figure out their star’s future after the season,” Sotto concludes.</p><h2><b>Heat’s Pat Riley originally noncommittal on Jimmy Butler extension</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Jimmy-Butler-on-Dec.-8-2024.jpg"><figcaption>Rhona Wise-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The forward has made a major mark on the league, especially with Miami, after being traded from the Philadelphia 76ers in 2019, resulting in two NBA Finals appearances.</p><p>However, the trade speculation arose when <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/heat-news-jimmy-butler-contract-extension-trade-rumors-key-pat-riley-update">Heat president Pat Riley was noncommittal in giving Butler</a> a contract extension, citing player availability as a reason since Butler hasn’t played more than 64 games in a season with the franchise.</p><p>“Well, you know, we don’t have to do that for a year, and so we have not discussed that internally right now, but we have to look at that and then making that kind of commitment,” Riley said. “We don’t have to do it until ’25 actually, but we’ll see. We haven’t made a decision on it. And we really haven’t really in earnest discussed it. So we’ll see what happens.”</p><p>“Well, I mean, if you request we can either accept, or we can say we’re going to think about it,” Riley said. “We’ve not made a decision on it, and I think you can make too much out of this. You still got two years left on the contract. Theoretically he’s got a player option, but that’s something that we have to give some real thought to based on a lot of factors.</p><p>“I don’t want to go through the litany of factors right now because they all go up into different hypotheticals, but yeah, that’s a big decision on our part to commit those kinds of resources unless you’re somebody who’s really going to be there and available every single night, that’s the truth.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Pat Riley on if he will be giving Jimmy Butler a contract extension this summer.</p><p>“Well, we don’t have to that for a year, so we have not discussed that internally…” <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HeatCulture?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HeatCulture</a> <a href="https://t.co/JnJwCuKfbS">pic.twitter.com/JnJwCuKfbS</a></p><p>— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) <a href="https://twitter.com/ZachWeinberger/status/1787546558617330077?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 6, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p></figure><h2><b>Heat’s Jimmy Butler can ‘shift the balance of power in the NBA’</b></h2><p>Still, Butler is seen as a player who can “shift the balance of power in the NBA,” according to Charania, as if a team were to trade for him, they would get a “perennial postseason performer.”</p><p>“Every trade deadline period, there are players who emerge as key figures to watch — those who could shift the balance of power in the NBA,” Charania wrote. “This season, all eyes will be on Miami Heat six-time All-Star Jimmy Butler and New Orleans Pelicans onetime All-Star Brandon Ingram.”</p><p>“Butler, 35, is one of the NBA’s elite competitors and is a perennial postseason performer,” Charania continued. “His teams have made the playoffs in 12 of his first 13 seasons, including the five previous seasons in Miami, where he has led the Heat to two NBA Finals berths and one additional Eastern Conference finals appearance.”</p><h2><b>Heat’s Jimmy Butler would want a ‘win-now title contender’ if traded</b></h2><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-heats-jimmy-butler-seeking-113-million-contract-extension">Butler was originally seeking a contract extension</a> last offseason before the comments from Riley as the conversation turned from the 35-year-old waiting for next offseason to become a free agent.</p><p>As Charania will say, this season is a contract year for Butler to further prove his worth for another team or Miami in free agency as he intends to “opt-out of his deal” and want to go to a “win-now title contender” if a trade were to happen.</p><p>“Both Butler and Ingram are essentially in contract seasons,” Charania wrote. “Butler has $49 million on his contract for this season — with a $52 million player option for 2025-26. The sides did not reach an extension last summer.”</p><p>“Above all, though, he is believed to prefer a win-now title contender in any trade,” Charania continued. “Teams have also been informed that Butler intends to opt out of his deal in the offseason and become a free agent, sources said.</p><p>“The Heat have hovered around the play-in tournament over the last two seasons, and with Butler’s contractual status, they have been open-minded to trade inquiries.”</p><h2><b>Heat’s Jimmy Butler has always loved the city of Miami</b></h2><p>There is no doubt that Butler has said many times how he loves the city of Miami, where the talks of a trade could be closed shut if the two sides could agree to a decision on their future come the offseason. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/exclusive-jimmy-butler-makes-10-year-tyler-herro-heat-claim">Butler just opened a coffee shop in Miami</a> from his brand, “BIGFACE,” this past Friday.</p><p>“Butler has been professional throughout the season, by all accounts, and has an affinity for Miami, where he even opened up his first “BIGFACE” coffee shop in the city’s Design District,” Charania wrote. “He has produced on the floor, too: 19 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game while shooting a career-best 55.7% from the field in his fewest attempts since 2013-14 (11.3).”</p><h2><b>The Warriors are looking for a player like Heat’s Jimmy Butler </b></h2><p>So far this season, Butler has been averaging 19 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game while shooting 55.7 percent from the field and 36 percent from beyond the arc.</p><p>“Sources said the Warriors are looking to add a star player — a playmaker, scorer — alongside Stephen Curry and Draymond Green,” Charania wrote. “Golden State pursued Utah Jazz star Lauri Markkanen and Paul George as a free agent last offseason and is expected to remain aggressive this deadline.</p><p>“A telltale moment happened for the Warriors on Friday night when Curry, Green, and coach Steve Kerr spoke about this being fourth-year forward Jonathan Kuminga’s time to take the mantle, and Green accepted a bench role for Kuminga to start at power forward.”</p><p>The latest rumors about Butler come at an ironic time as the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/heat-news-bam-adebayo-tyler-herro-open-up-on-miamis-positive-momentum-after-win-vs-cavs">Heat are amid their best stretch</a> as a team this season, on a three-game winning streak, beating teams like the Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns, and the Cavs. They are 12-10, which puts them fifth in the East. Their next game is Thursday against the Toronto Raptors.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Jimmy Butler’s preferred trade destinations with Heat open to offers

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba-rumors-rockets-still-expected-to-make-big-trade-splash');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Rockets still expected to make big trade splash');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/NBA-rumors-Rockets-still-expected-to-make-big-trade-splash.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Rockets still expected to make big trade splash</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-02T23:04:41-08:00">December 2nd, 11:04pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-02T23:04:41-08:00">December 2nd, 11:04pm</time><address><a href="https://letterboxd.com/splooshpuhrty/films/by/your-rating/">Jedd Pagaduan</a>Jedd Pagaduan is a certified Clippers and Gunners fan, which means he's a very sports-traumatized individual. He now writes about sports instead as a form of therapy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Rockets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Houston Rockets have arrived; after starting to put the league on notice last season en route to finishing with a .500 record (41-41), the Rockets have been one of the best teams in the association to start the 2024-25 campaign. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/thunder-news-mark-daigneault-honest-admission-loss-vs-rockets">Fresh off a rousing win</a> over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday night, the Rockets currently boast a 15-6 record that currently has them at second in the Western Conference standings.</p><p>After all the noise surrounding the Rockets’ potential movement in the trade market, with the likes of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Jimmy Butler being linked to Houston, they have shown in the early goings of the season that they have what it takes to be a legitimate contender as presently constructed. But according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, “<a href="https://hoopshype.com/lists/top-nba-trade-candidates-for-the-2024-25-season/" rel="noopener">there’s skepticism</a> from NBA executives around the league that Houston won’t look to acquire a big-name star at some point.”</p><p>In fact, Scotto wrote that “the Rockets have even more flexibility as they decide who will remain a part of their young core looking ahead” due to their torrid start to the season. And at this point, it’s looking more and more clear who the core pieces will be for Houston moving forward.</p><p>Alperen Sengun continues to be a force at the center of everything the Rockets do on offense, and Sengun has actually done a good job at improving his defense; it’s no coincidence that the Rockets own the second-best defense in the association in terms of points allowed per 100 possessions.</p><p>Amen Thompson and Tari Eason profile as future starting-caliber players with room to grow perhaps into All-Stars in the future. Their defense on the wings makes them the perfect fit alongside Sengun.</p><p>That leaves Jalen Green and Jabari Smith Jr. as <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-rockets-mavericks-quietly-linked-potential-jimmy-butler-trade-pursuit">potential trade candidates</a> in the future, but the Rockets aren’t in any sort of a rush anyway considering their incredible play as of late.</p><h2><b>Will the Rockets trade away Jalen Green?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Rockets-guard-Jalen-Green-4-drives-for-a-dunk.jpg"></figure><p>Jalen Green is a valued member of the Rockets’ young core, that much is certain. But the Rockets have also been giving Green a short leash. Ime Udoka has tended to bench Green whenever he needs more defense and work rate on the court, and it’s not like Green has been consistent enough on offense to warrant overlooking his lapses on the defensive end.</p><p>However, according to ClutchPoints NBA insider Brett Siegel, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sources-jonathan-kuminga-alperen-sengun-jalen-green-contract-extension-decisions">Rockets “have long believed</a> in Green and his potential” and his three-year, $106 million extension reflects that. They will give Green as many chances as possible to reach what the Rockets believe is an All-Star level ceiling, so it’s looking like he’s safe from trade talks — for now.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Rockets still expected to make big trade splash

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba-rumors-rockets-mavericks-quietly-linked-potential-jimmy-butler-trade-pursuit');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Rockets, Mavericks ‘quietly’ linked to potential Jimmy Butler trade pursuit');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/NBA-rumors-Rockets-Mavericks-quietly-linked-to-potential-Jimmy-Butler-trade-pursuit.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Rockets, Mavericks ‘quietly’ linked to potential Jimmy Butler trade pursuit</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-02T09:09:26-08:00">December 2nd, 9:09am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-03T12:40:00-08:00">December 3rd, 12:40pm</time><address><a>Josue Pavon</a>Josue Pavon is an Associate Editor and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat writer for ClutchPoints. He started his career as a credentialed media member writing about the Boston Celtics for WEEI.com in Boston, where he grew into a local on-camera NBA reporter and podcast host for CLNS Media. Alongside the Celtics radio broadcaster and two-time NBA champion Cedric Maxwell, Josue is the co-host of the Cedric Maxwell podcast.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Dallas Mavericks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>If Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler is on the move this season, rumors have already circulated about two potential suitors in the Houston Rockets and the Dallas Mavericks. Both could be one star away from becoming championship contenders. As <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/heat-news-jimmy-butler-erik-spoelstra-reveal-jaime-jaquez-jr-s-superpower">Heat guard Jaime Jaquez Jr. ramps back</a> up from an ankle injury, many wonder if Butler will still be in the east by the end of the season. As he inches closer to the final year of his three-year, $146.3 million contract, a player option for 2025-26 worth $52.4 million, some speculate Miami will trade him for assets.</p><p>Two potential <a href="https://hoopshype.com/lists/top-nba-trade-candidates-for-the-2024-25-season/" rel="noopener">suitors</a> include the Houston Rockets and the Dallas Mavericks, per HoopsHype Michael Sotto.</p><p>“Within league circles, there’s been quiet discourse about whether the Houston Rockets or Dallas Mavericks will eventually land Butler, a Texas native, should he and Miami decide to part ways,” Sotto reports. “For now, however, the Rockets are among the top teams with a young core, and the Mavericks remain a contender in the tightly competitive Western Conference.</p><p>“It’s also worth noting executives who’ve checked in on Butler got the impression that Miami wants to figure out their star’s future after the season,” Sotto concludes.</p><p>Waiting could be in the Heat’s best interest as they gauge their position in the Eastern Conference. While it’s still early, Miami is a .500 (9-9) team, good enough for sixth place. There’s still plenty of time for the Heat to pick up steam ahead of the postseason, as only the top five teams are above .500 in their conference.</p><p>In the Western Conference, a .500 record keeps you entirely out of the playoff picture. The Minnesota Timberwolves, currently eleventh in the standings, are slightly below (9-10).</p><h2><b>Will the Heat trade Jimmy Butler to the Western Conference?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Heat-star-Jimmy-Butler.jpg"><figcaption>Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Still, it’s fun for Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets fans to dream of acquiring Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler, who could be the difference between winning and losing the NBA Finals. For the Western Conference champion Mavericks, offering a trade package that includes Klay Thompson is a must. They’ll also need to include PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford to match Butler’s $48.7 million salary. In the end, is it worth it for the Mavs?</p><p>The Rockets, on the other hand, are in a similar situation. Dillon Brooks is their “Thompson” in their way to match Butler’s contract. They’ll also need to throw in Jabari Smith Jr., Amen Thompson, and another player to complete a trade.</p><p>Perhaps the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/heat-vs-celtics-predictions-odds-pick-12-2-2024">Heat’s matchup against the champion Celtics</a> will give the front office a better picture of where its team stands nearly 20 games into the 2024-25 campaign.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Rockets, Mavericks ‘quietly’ linked to potential Jimmy Butler trade pursuit

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba-rumors-donovan-mitchell-150-million-cavs-deal-rockets-trade-interest');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Donovan Mitchell’s $150 million Cavs deal shut down Rockets’ trade interest');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/NBA-rumors-Donovan-Mitchells-150-million-Cavs-commitment-shut-down-Rockets-trade-interest.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Donovan Mitchell’s $150 million Cavs deal shut down Rockets’ trade interest</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-11-24T11:36:38-08:00">November 24th, 11:36am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-11-25T13:53:28-08:00">November 25th, 1:53pm</time><address><a>Malik Brown</a>Malik Brown is a multimedia reporter based in Atlanta who covers the Hawks and Dream for ClutchPoints. Malik has worked in entertainment and sports, and he specializes in the NBA and NFL.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Cavaliers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Cleveland <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cavaliers-news-donovan-mitchell-nsfw-message-undefeated-start">Cavaliers are off to a 16-1 start to the season</a>, and what they did during the offseason may have led to this. One of the moves they made was re-signing Donovan Mitchell, as there were rumors that he may not have signed the extension. If that was the case, the Houston Rockers were ready to <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/sunday-best-all-my-latest-from-the-c5f?utm_source=post-email-title&amp;publication_id=392205&amp;post_id=152086116&amp;utm_campaign=email-post-title&amp;isFreemail=false&amp;r=39f60&amp;triedRedirect=true&amp;utm_medium=email" rel="noopener">put a package together</a> to trade for him, according to Marc Stein.</p><p>“One more note on the Rockets: League sources say Houston did have real designs on pursuing Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell if the 28-year-old had elected to pass on a contract extension in the offseason, which almost certainly would have forced the Cavaliers to field trade inquiries for him,” Stein wrote.</p><p>“Yet Mitchell hushed all such talk by signing a three-year, $150 million extension, committing his immediate future to the Cavaliers and — along with extensions for Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen and the hiring of Kenny Atkinson as coach — contributing hugely to the franchise solidity that has propelled Cleveland to a 16-1 start,” Stein continued.</p><p>The Rockets showed some promise toward the end of last season, and they have been looking for the final piece to complete their team. Even though they weren’t able to pull off a trade, the Rockets have had a nice start to the season with a 12-6 record.</p><h2>Cavs off to a fast start</h2><p>The Cavs have been playing some of the best basketball in the league, and it’s been with the help of several players on the team. The backcourt of Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell have been playing well next to each other, and the frontcourt of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen have been strong on defense.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/kenny-atkinson-to-slowly-reinvent-cavs-entering-training-camp">biggest acquisition for the Cavs</a> has been head coach Kenny Atkinson, who has unlocked the team and is letting them play free-flowing basketball. With the start that the Cavs have had to the season, it wouldn’t be surprising if they kept the No. 1 spot in the Eastern Conference.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Donovan Mitchell’s $150 million Cavs deal shut down Rockets’ trade interest

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba-rumors-rockets-kevin-durant-trade-interest-overstated');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Rockets’ Kevin Durant trade interest ‘overstated’');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/0Rockets-Kevin-Durant-trade-interest-overstated0.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Rockets’ Kevin Durant trade interest ‘overstated’</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-11-24T11:35:38-08:00">November 24th, 11:35am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-11-24T11:35:38-08:00">November 24th, 11:35am</time><address><a>Matt De Lima</a>Matt De Lima is an Associate Editor for NFL and college football at ClutchPoints. He has been covering sports for over 12 years at sites like Sports Illustrated, The Game Day, and countless others. Born and raised in California, he is a graduate of Virginia Tech and a diehard Hokies fan who now resides in southern Maryland.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Rockets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Despite the many <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rockets-blockbuster-trade-proposal-lands-suns-star-kevin-durant">NBA trade rumors to the contrary</a>, the Houston Rockets just aren’t that into Kevin Durant. Phoenix Suns owner Matt Ishbia discussed in an ESPN interview that he expects Durant to sign a contract extension with the team this offseason. Over the summer, it was reported that the Rockets <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/sunday-best-all-my-latest-from-the-c5f" rel="noopener">were determined</a> to trade for Durant; however, according to NBA insider Marc Stein, Houston’s interest in Durant has been “overstated.”</p><p>“A) The Rockets’ interest in Durant has been overstated from the jump.</p><p>B) Houston is determined to prioritize internal development this season with its youthful roster off to a 12-6 start and has been miscast by rival front offices as a team looking to make a splashy move before the Feb. 6 trade deadline.</p><p>C) The Rockets, most importantly, intend to prioritize timeline considerations as much as talent and fit when they do make their next major trade, according to league sources. This is a roster, remember, that — beyond veterans Fred VanVleet, Dillon Brooks and Steven Adams — features seven first-round picks who are 23 or younger and who were selected between No. 2 (Jalen Green) and No. 20 (Cam Whitmore) overall.”</p><p>Stein also recently reported the Rockets <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/sunday-best-all-my-latest-from-the-ef3" rel="noopener">are considered</a> “a potential down-the-road trade suitor for Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo.”</p><h2><b>Breaking down the Rockets’ hot 12-6 start</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Suns-Kevin-Durant-courtside.jpg"><figcaption>Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>A couple of months ago, Houston was considered a young, big potential but middling, and perhaps below-average team that would need to grow into the 2024-25 season. That may still be the case, but for now, the Rockets are surprising and overperforming to begin the year.</p><p>Head coach Ime Udoka deserves a ton of credit for getting the most out of the Rockets’ young talent, as highlighted by Brett Siegel in his latest edition of ClutchPoints’ <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-power-rankings-24-25-week-4-rockets-warriors-turn-back-clocks">NBA Power Rankings</a>.</p><p>“Even with a lot of basketball yet to be played, it is clear that Ime Udoka deserves to be the frontrunner for Coach of the Year. We saw glimpses of the Rockets’ full potential last season when they made a late push for the play-in tournament, but now they are cementing themselves as one of the best teams in the NBA power rankings from the Western Conference.</p><p>“While they may not have that marquee win against one of the better teams in the league, the Rockets are handling business with their tough defensive approach. Houston is currently the best when it comes to limiting their opponents’ assists, and this team also ranks second in opposing teams’ field goal percentage. Between their length and athleticism, the Rockets have the tools to be a similar defensive team as the Orlando Magic from a season ago. There is no doubt that this is the most improved team in the NBA right now, hence their rise in the power rankings.”</p><p>After a couple of days off, the Rockets travel to Minnesota to face the Timberwolves on Tuesday, November 26, at 8:00 p.m. EST.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Rockets’ Kevin Durant trade interest ‘overstated’

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba-rumors-insider-reveals-two-rockets-who-are-untouchable-in-trade-talks');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA Rumors: Insider reveals two Rockets who are ‘untouchable’ in trade talks');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Insider-reveals-two-Rockets-who-are-%E2%80%98untouchable-in-trade-talks.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA Rumors: Insider reveals two Rockets who are ‘untouchable’ in trade talks</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-11-20T13:51:55-08:00">November 20th, 1:51pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-11-20T13:51:55-08:00">November 20th, 1:51pm</time><address><a>Ryan Bologna</a>Ryan Bologna is an author at ClutchPoints. He studied journalism and communication at UConn.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Rockets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Houston Rockets have gotten off to a good start in the 2024-2025 NBA season, and if they keep on this pace, the organization will want to consider adding ahead of the trade deadline. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rockets-news-jeff-green-makes-nba-history-passing-vince-carter">The Rockets have</a> many young pieces to use in a potential trade, but that does not mean that they are willing to include anyone in trade talks. ESPN insider Brian Windhorst indicated that Tari Eason and Amen Thompson are <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efIhdXvOyF8&amp;t=1361s" rel="noopener">essentially untouchable</a>.</p><p>“The Rockets and Warriors are kind of in the same boat. They’re playing a lot of guys, they’ve got some young guys they like, and they’ve got picks at their disposal and players to trade,” Brian Windhorst said on The Hoop Collective. “The question is will they like what they’ve got in January or will they look to upgrade. There are some teams that have been watching the Rockets, waiting to see if they move, and the message that they’ve sent out that those two guys, Tari Eason and Amen Thompson, guys that they’ve drafted in the last three years are untouchable. Now everything in life is a negotiation, especially in the NBA, but I’m told those guys are untouchable.”</p><p>It shows who is at the core of <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-rockets-stance-giannis-antetokounmpo-trade-comes-into-focus">what the Rockets are building</a> with this young team. They have accumulated a lot of talent in recent years, but it appears that the Rockets are prioritizing building around Eason and Thompson.</p><p>“It would have to be one heck of a return to get the Rockets to consider trading either one of those guys,” Tim MacMahon said. “They love those guys and I think they fit the mold that Ime Udoka wants in Houston.”</p><p>It will be interesting to see if the Rockets are able to sustain this level of play and establish themselves as a true contender in the Western Conference.</p><h2><b>Who could Rockets include in a trade to bolster roster?</b></h2><p>When looking at young players the Rockets could include in a trade, not counting Eason and Thompson, there are still some pieces that could be valuable to other teams. Jalen Green sticks out as an option, the former No. 2 overall pick from 2021, and he has been rumored in deals before. Jabari Smith is another option, along with Cam Whitmore.</p><p>The Rockets have been rebuilding for a while, but now they are in contention and building something, with chips to use in potential trades ahead of the deadline this year.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA Rumors: Insider reveals two Rockets who are ‘untouchable’ in trade talks

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba-rumors-rockets-stance-giannis-antetokounmpo-trade-comes-into-focus');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Rockets’ stance on Giannis Antetokounmpo trade comes into focus');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/NBA-rumors-Rockets-stance-on-Giannis-Antetokounmpo-trade-comes-into-focus.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Rockets’ stance on Giannis Antetokounmpo trade comes into focus</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-11-20T11:44:07-08:00">November 20th, 11:44am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-11-20T12:01:09-08:00">November 20th, 12:01pm</time><address><a>Quinn Allen</a>Quinn Allen is a Senior Associate Editor with ClutchPoints. He specializes mainly in soccer, basketball, and baseball. When Quinn isn't producing content for CP,  he's writing sports betting predictions for numerous sites across North America.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Rockets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-giannis-antetokounmpo-3-word-post-after-hornets-loss">The Milwaukee Bucks are down bad</a> to begin the 2024-25 season, which has<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/perfect-giannis-antetokoumpo-trade-nets-offer-bucks"> trade buzz surrounding Giannis Antetokounmpo</a>. But, the Houston Rockets won’t be one of those teams to pursue The Greek Freak if the Bucks did actually make him available.</p><p>The 10-5 Rockets are committed to their young core and <a href="https://x.com/KellyIko/status/1859317443878937083" rel="noopener">have no interest</a> in pulling off a blockbuster deal. Via Kelly Iko:</p><p>“The Rockets are not interested in breaking up their core for Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, sources tell The Athletic. Houston, sitting at 10-5 and a game out of first in the West, remains focused on developing its young players as a collective.”</p><p>Houston is playing well, with Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun leading the way. While Giannis would certainly help, they’d have to include at least a couple of their young pieces to make a trade happen.</p><p>Milwaukee is sitting at 5-9 right now despite Giannis showing out. He’s averaging 31.4 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game. Damian Lillard is also putting up numbers but outside of the star duo, there hasn’t been a ton of production. Plus, Khris Middleton has still yet to play this season.</p><p>While the Rockets just lost a nailbiter to the Bucks, they’re a very promising squad. Aside from Green and Sengun, Houston has a nice mix of youth and experience. Fred VanVleet, Dillon Brooks, and Steven Adams are leaders and have been around the Association for a while, while the young guns continue to improve.</p><p>It is hard to imagine any organization not giving up whoever the Bucks want if Giannis were actually available. We’re talking about arguably the most dominant player in the league. He is truly a game-changer on both ends of the floor.</p><p>All the trade speculation is just that at the moment — speculation. However, Houston appears to be happy with their roster as it stands.</p><p> </p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Rockets’ stance on Giannis Antetokounmpo trade comes into focus

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba-rumors-rockets-players-not-available-trade');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: The two Rockets players not available in trade talks');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/NBA-rumors-The-two-Rockets-players-not-available-in-trade-talks.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: The two Rockets players not available in trade talks</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-11-15T16:51:22-08:00">November 15th, 4:51pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-11-15T16:51:22-08:00">November 15th, 4:51pm</time><address><a>Troy Finnegan</a>Troy Finnegan is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2023 with a degree in journalism and minors in communications and sports media, as well as a critical sports studies certificate. He has had a passion for sports his entire life, and enjoys covering and writing about all sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Rockets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/knicks-tom-thibodeau-calls-out-controversial-call-in-loss-to-rockets">Houston Rockets have been one of the pleasant surprises</a> of the NBA season this year, as Ime Udoka and company are off to an 8-4 start on the season. They are having a lot of success despite a very young team led by Alperen Sengun and Jalen Green.</p><p>Oftentimes, a young team that its overachieving or taking the leap and becoming a playoff team can make a big move to try and become a contender right away, sacrificing the future for a chance to win right now.</p><p>However, the Rockets have no such interest in taking that kind of risk. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rockets-news-alperen-sengun-forever-claim-185-million-contract-extension">Green and Sengun are obviously not going anywhere</a> after signing contract extensions before the start of the season, but productive young players Tari Eason and Amen Thompson have also been <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/story/_/id/42400032/nba-buzz-cavs-playoff-plans-warriors-rockets-trade-intel" rel="noopener">off limits in trade talks</a>, according to Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst of ESPN.</p><p>“Speaking of the Rockets and their potential place in the trade market, the message they are sending out is that they aren’t interested in trading much of their young core right now,” Bontemps and Windhorst reported on Friday. “Draft steal Tari Eason, for example, has been drawing attention for the past year but has been labeled off limits, sources said. Same for last year’s lottery pick Amen Thompson.”</p><p>Eason and Thompson have both established themselves as very good defenders who both project to get better on that side of the ball in the coming years. The Rockets are also able to be conservative in trade talks because they already have a few veteran voices who are contributing a lot in Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks.</p><h2><b>Jalen Green living up to extension amid Rockets’ hot start</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Jalen-Green.jpg"><figcaption>Erik Williams-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>One of the more controversial deals signed before the rookie extension deadline before the season came when <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-jalen-green-trade-update-106-million-contract-extension">Jalen Green signed a three-year deal worth up to $106 million</a> to remain with the Rockets. Green’s production, save for a stretch near the end of last season as the Rockets were slipping out of playoff contention, didn’t necessarily justify that kind of money, but the Rockets were making a bet on the former No. 2 overall pick’s potential.</p><p>Green has confirmed their beliefs so far this season. With over 20 points per game, Green is leading the team in scoring this season and he is keeping his turnovers down as well as someone who is asked to do a lot of ball handling on offense.</p><p>This young Rockets core has a lot of talented defenders, and Sengun has become one of the best offensive hubs and playmakers at his position in the league. However, in order to reach their ceiling they need Green’s scoring punch and ability to score the ball in isolation in end-of-clock scenarios.</p><p>Green has been in a bit of a shooting slump lately, but he is clearly talented enough to be an efficient scorer. The shot selection can be a problem at times which contributes to some of his shooting struggles, but Green is more than capable of scoring the ball at an efficient clip. Despite that, he has still shown clear improvements for the Rockets this season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: The two Rockets players not available in trade talks

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba-rumors-rockets-hardball-alperen-sengun-jalen-green');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Rockets playing hardball with Alperen Sengun, Jalen Green');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/NBA-rumors-Rockets-playing-hardball-with-Alperen-Sengun-Jalen-Green.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Rockets playing hardball with Alperen Sengun, Jalen Green</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-10-20T11:32:02-07:00">October 20th, 11:32am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-10-20T11:32:02-07:00">October 20th, 11:32am</time><address><a>Preston Byers</a>Preston Byers is an experienced writer and journalist who currently serves as an associate editor for ClutchPoints and as a staff writer at The Vindicator and Tribune Chronicle, where he covers sports in the Mahoning Valley. Previously, Preston worked as an associate editor for Dot Esports and a site expert for FanSided's Union and Blue.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Houston Rockets have a large group of young players who have yet to sign extensions, and at least two of them could remain without a new deal for a while.</p><p>Although both have shown flashes of high-level play, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-alperen-sengun-rockets-legitimate-chance-contract-extension">center Alperen Sengun</a> and guard Jalen Green reportedly <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-rockets-not-ready-max-alperen-sengun-jalen-green">may not receive suitable contract offers</a> before the 2024-25 NBA season begins this week.</p><p>“Houston has not been willing to approach a maximum contract for either Jalen Green or Alperen Sengun, sources said,” NBA insider Jake Fischer<a href="https://www.threads.net/@thepeoplesinsidershow/post/DBS5_Gkxx_5?xmt=AQGzTW3WOkYHOXxxxyZ7pqDN2LVDaWWkCXxm5VlgMLpScw" rel="noopener"> wrote on</a> Threads. “Both young Rockets phenoms’ representations have stated each player is deserving of top dollar that, so far, Houston has yet to offer. The Rockets are open to extending both players, but also content with extending neither before the year begins, sources said.”</p><h2><b>Will Rockets offer max contracts to Alperen Sengun or Jalen Green?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Alperen-Sengun-dapping-up-Jalen-Green-1.jpg"><figcaption>Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>Both Green and Sengun were drafted by Houston in 2021; Green was taken second overall, while Sengun came off of the board with the 16th pick. Although Green was naturally projected to be the better player as the higher draft pick, Sengun has since blossomed into a dependable offensive force. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rockets-grading-alperen-sengun-breakout-season">In his third season, the Turkish big man</a> averaged 21.1 points, 9.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 1.2 steals (all career-high marks) and finished third in Most Improved Player voting.</p><p>In general, Green’s offense had never been much of an issue — he averaged 22.1 points and shot 34% from three in his second year — but the young guard’s defense lagged through his first two seasons in the league. This past season, his first under head coach Ime Udoka, he took a major leap on the defensive end, which helped the Rockets make a 19-win year-over-year improvement.</p><p>There are still questions about Green, though, especially in regard to whether he can improve his efficiency. As for Sengun, his shooting and defense remain points of concern despite his high-level offensive skillset. Additionally, Houston managed to win nine straight games when Sengun went down with an injury last year, leading some in the media to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/why-jalen-green-rockets-are-thriving-without-alperen-sengun">question how valuable he truly is to the team’s success</a>. That may not be much of a question, though, considering the Rockets also lost six of their last nine games without Sengun and missed out on a spot in the Play-In.</p><p>Nonetheless, it would seem unwise for the Rockets to let one or both of Green and Sengun enter the year without signing new deals. They are each entering the last season under contract — Sengun will earn $5.4 million, while Green gets $12.5 million — and are set to become restricted free agents next summer.</p><p>A five-year max contract for Sengun or Green is expected to be valued at about $224 million, and that figure could rise to about $270 million if they earn an All-NBA selection or win Defensive Player of the Year or Most Valuable Player.</p><p>Players in the 2021 draft class that have already signed max extensions include the Toronto Raptors’ Scottie Barnes, Cleveland Cavaliers’ Evan Mobley, Orlando Magic’s Franz Wagner, and the No. 1 overall pick in that draft, the Detroit Pistons’ Cade Cunningham.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Rockets playing hardball with Alperen Sengun, Jalen Green

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba-rumors-alperen-sengun-rockets-legitimate-chance-contract-extension');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Alperen Sengun, Rockets have ‘legitimate chance’ of contract extension');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/NBA-rumors-Alperen-Sengun-Rockets-have-legitimate-chance-of-contract-extension.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Alperen Sengun, Rockets have ‘legitimate chance’ of contract extension</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-10-01T09:56:11-07:00">October 1st, 9:56am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-10-01T09:57:19-07:00">October 1st, 9:57am</time><address><a>Brett Siegel</a>Brett Siegel joined ClutchPoints as a credentialed NBA insider and reporter in May 2023 after previously covering the NBA for Fastbreak on FanNation and NBA Analysis Network, as well as working with Louisville Basketball. From playing to coaching to covering the game as a media member, Brett has been involved with the game of basketball from many different perspectives. Breaking the news of various free agent signings, yearly NBA Draft news and other key stories around the league, Brett is always on the phone, getting the latest news and rumors around the NBA. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @BrettSiegelNBA.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Throughout the NBA offseason, teams have been a lot more cognizant of their current and future financial situations as a result of the first and second tax aprons and the implications that these financial marks carry. That is why many teams did not break the bank over the summer, especially when it comes to re-signing players and offering contract extensions. One of the more fascinating extension situations around the league, aside from the Golden State Warriors with Jonathan Kuminga, is Alperen Sengun and the Houston Rockets.</p><p>Sengun put together a really solid second season in the league during the 2022-23 season, and in Year 3, he became a borderline All-Star with the Rockets. In a total of 63 games, all of which he started, Sengun averaged 21.1 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game while shooting 53.7 percent from the floor. If the Turkish big man hadn’t suffered a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rockets-news-alperen-sengun-injury-timeline">gruesome-looking leg injury late in the season</a>, he may have gone on to win the league’s Most Improved Player award.</p><p>There is no doubt that Sengun now enters the 2024-25 season, his fourth year in the league, as the Rockets best player. However, the organization has a decision to make regarding his long-term status with the franchise since he is in the final year of his rookie contract.</p><p>Since the middle of last season, the language coming from Houston suggested that the team envisions Sengun being their center of the future. Although the Rockets explored other options in the 2023 offseason, including Milwaukee Bucks big man Brook Lopez, league sources told ClutchPoints in March that the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sources-paul-george-klay-thompson-futures-decided-nba-playoffs">team had not given any indications that Sengun was available</a> on the trade market or that the team had a desire to see him leave.</p><p>It appears as if that same mentality remains, as there is a “legitimate chance” that Sengun and the Rockets will reach an <a href="https://www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/rockets/article/alperen-sengun-jalen-green-contracts-19806954.php?utm_campaign=CMS%20Sharing%20Tools%20(Premium)&amp;utm_source=t.co&amp;utm_medium=referral" rel="noopener">agreement</a> on a new contract extension prior to the start of the 2024-25 season, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. The Rockets have until October 21, the day before the 2024-25 regular season begins, to make a decision on whether or not to extend Sengun. Should a deal not be reached, Sengun will become a restricted free agent next summer.</p><h2><b>Rockets’ desire to keep Alperen Sengun</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Alperen-Sengun-of-the-Rockets.jpg"><figcaption>Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rockets-future-alperen-sengun-jalen-green-offseason-trade-decisions">Rockets have held no intention of trading Sengun</a>. He is the pinnacle of their starting lineup, and at 22 years old, there is still plenty of room for Sengun to follow in the footsteps of other versatile, do-it-all centers in this league like Domantas Sabonis and Nikola Jokic.</p><p>Over the last few seasons, the Rockets have developed Sengun into a more well-rounded big man who could be an all-around weapon on the offensive end of the floor. It is not a coincidence that he saw his scoring and passing numbers increase last season with Udoka as his head coach, and Sengun is only primed to make yet another jump this upcoming season.</p><p>Houston is committed to Sengun, and it appears as if the feelings are mutual. It is not hard to call Sengun one of the better centers in basketball right now, and the Rockets envision a future where they can build around the rising star at the center position.</p><p>Should the two sides want to get a deal done in the next three weeks, they can make it happen. However, what this contract extension could look like is the big question.</p><p>Since Jalen Green is also entering the final year of his rookie contract with no word of an extension before the season out of Houston at the moment, the Rockets could be pressed to make a choice between the two youthful players. This is especially true since Fred VanVleet is on the books for $42.8 million this season before owning a $44.8 million team option ahead of the 2025-26 season.</p><p>Even with all of the confusing numbers, there is still a path to the Rockets being able to extend Sengun now and still keep Green around on a new contract next offseason, especially if the organization decides to part ways with VanVleet in favor of Amen Thompson and Reed Sheppard, two backcourt options the organization is exceptionally high on.</p><p>Out of all the teams in the league, the Rockets have been operating with an abundance of flexibility and potential because of the talent that exists on rookie contracts. Decisions are going to be made in the near future, and it appears as if the first will be Sengun putting pen to paper on a new, long-term contract extension to remain in Houston as one of the faces of the franchise.</p><p> </p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Alperen Sengun, Rockets have ‘legitimate chance’ of contract extension

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba-rumors-pistons-rockets-showed-patrick-beverley-interest-before-israel-move');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Pistons, Rockets showed Patrick Beverley interest before Israel move');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Pistons-Rockets-showed-Patrick-Beverley-interest-before-Israel-move.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Pistons, Rockets showed Patrick Beverley interest before Israel move</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-07-16T18:00:07-07:00">July 16th, 6:00pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-07-16T18:00:07-07:00">July 16th, 6:00pm</time><address><a href="https://www.downeuclid.com">Evan Dammarell</a>Evan Dammarell is an award-winning sports journalist covering all things Cleveland, including the Cavs, right off the shores of Lake Erie. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram. He can also be found three to five times weekly on Locked On Cavs, a part of the Locked On Podcast Network.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Other Sports</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>NBA veteran journeyman Patrick Beverley is beginning his next professional chapter overseas after choosing to sign with Israeli squad Hapoel Tel Aviv. Beverley will join a stacked roster since Hapoel Tel Aviv recently signed former Phoenix Suns forward Ish Wainright and former Los Angeles Clippers big man Johnathan Motley.</p><p>However, before Beverley chose to play in Israel, he <a href="https://x.com/Tsaltas46/status/1813275696837300647" rel="noopener">had NBA offers</a> from the Detroit Pistons and Houston Rockets that ultimately didn’t deter him from staying stateside.</p><p>“Patrick Beverley received interest from Detroit Pistons and Houston Rockets (veteran’s minimum) over the last few days, but he preferred Hapoel Tel Aviv because of the challenge to win both Israel League and Eurocup, according to @SportalgrG source. #HapoelTelAviv #NBA,” said Christos Tsaltas on X.</p><p>“Patrick Beverley met with Hapoel Tel Aviv’s owner in Las Vegas, according to @SportalgrG source. He get everything he asked for and he accepted Hapoel’s offer for 2 years (1+1). He wanted to be impactful in a winning team and that was a big reason behind his decision. #Eurocup”</p><p>Despite being a second-round pick by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2009, Beverley began his pro career overseas following his college days at Arkansas. So, playing in Israel for Hapoel Tel Aviv isn’t the first time the guard has played overseas. However, it is the first time he hasn’t played in the NBA since 2013, when he signed a multi-year deal with the Houston Rockets, so some change will still be involved.</p><h2>What made Patrick Beverley want to leave the NBA?</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Beverley-Posts-Up.jpg"><figcaption>Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>Beverley has played for five franchises since the start of the 2021-22 season and has not signed a multiyear deal since 2019. With that in mind, when Beverley, who turned 36 this week, posted on his X that he was weighing whether to sign a veteran minimum NBA contract or take a deal overseas, it <a href="https://x.com/PatBevPod/status/1813262601452753313" rel="noopener">made sense</a> why he was considering every option.</p><p>“They gave me everything I asked for,” Beverley said. “I couldn’t refuse.”</p><p>Beverley began the 2023-24 season playing for the Philadelphia 76ers before the franchise traded him to the Milwaukee Bucks in February. There, he played a role in the team’s playoff run following the loss of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard to injury. He averaged a combined 6.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.9 assists on 41.7 percent shooting from the field. The season before, Beverley spent time with the Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls.</p><p>If he doesn’t return to the NBA, he will finish his career with 666 regular-season games, averaging 8.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.1 steals in 26.6 minutes. However, it doesn’t paint the full picture, even if he didn’t put up the flashiest stats. Even in his mid-30s, Beverley was one of the most dogged point-of-attack defenders in the league and a helpful connector on the other end. Even as a point guard, Beverley could always credibly initiate the offense but never needed the ball, which made him a good fit with ball-dominant stars.</p><p>However, if he does return, he will have to serve a four-game suspension for throwing the ball at Indiana Pacers fans multiple times in Game 6 of Milwaukee’s first-round series loss.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Pistons, Rockets showed Patrick Beverley interest before Israel move

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba-rumors-rockets-not-ready-max-alperen-sengun-jalen-green');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Rockets not ready to max Alperen Sengun, Jalen Green');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Rockets-not-ready-to-max-Alperen-Sengun-Jalen-Green.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Rockets not ready to max Alperen Sengun, Jalen Green</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-07-02T08:47:28-07:00">July 2nd, 8:47am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-07-02T08:47:28-07:00">July 2nd, 8:47am</time><address><a>Ryan Bologna</a>Ryan Bologna is an author at ClutchPoints. He studied journalism and communication at UConn.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Houston Rockets have some young talent on their squad that they are trying to keep building around to form a real contender in the Western Conference, and Alperen Sengun and Jalen Green are the two players who stick out for the team. Both are eligible for max rookie extensions, like Cade Cunningham and Scottie Barnes got, but <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5608131/2024/07/02/houston-rockets-free-agency/?source=user_shared_article&amp;utm_content=buffer4012d&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter.com&amp;utm_campaign=buffer&amp;redirected=1" rel="noopener">unlikely to receive</a> them from the Rockets.</p><p>“At this stage, it’s unlikely either Sengun or Green receive max rookie extensions — both are eligible for a five-year deal worth up to $224.2 million, per The Athletic’s salary cap expert Danny LeRoux,” Kelly Iko of The Athletic said. “Houston has had conversations with both camps concerning an extension and will continue dialogue during the offseason, but the chances of either player inking an agreement in the realm of fellow 2021 draftees Cade Cunningham ($236 million) or Scottie Barnes (potentially up to $270 million) are slim. It’s more likely the Rockets revisit this next year, unless there is an agreement that benefits both sides.”</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-rockets-superstar-trade-dreams-get-far-fetched-update">After the Rockets hired</a> Ime Udoka last offseason, they have had the goal of entering contention with their young squad, while keeping open the possibility of acquiring a star player. They made a run late in the season to try to make the play-in tournament, but were not able to chase down the Golden State Warriors. Still, this was a step forward <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rockets-news-houston-decision-fred-vanvleet-backup">for the Rockets</a> as a team who proved they can win games against quality opponents, mainly on the strength of their defense.</p><p>Alperen Sengun was a big part of that, as he <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/s/sengual01.html" rel="noopener">averaged 21.1 points</a> with 9.3 rebounds this past season, according to Basketball Reference. At just 21 years old, Sengun is a part of the long-term plan for the Rockets, whether that is building around him or using him in a trade to get a superstar.</p><p>Jalen Green is a good young piece as well. He <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/g/greenja05.html" rel="noopener">averaged 19.6 points</a> per game this season with 5.2 rebounds, according to Basketball reference. Although he could improve his efficiency from where it currently is, he still has time to grow at 21 years old as well. He has been rumored in trades in the past too.</p><h2><b>Rockets save assets they have stocked for big trade</b></h2><p>The Rockets have been one of the teams in the NBA that stick out as a team that could make a big trade for a star player. They swapped picks with the Brooklyn Nets recently to theoretically make a push for Kevin Durant if he becomes available.</p><p>Houston was rumored to have interest in Mikal Bridges from the Nets, but passed and let the New York Knicks get him. Green was rumored as a possible player that would have headed to Brookln in the past if that deal did take place. Ultimately, Mikal Bridges made it clear that he would have eventually signed with the Knicks anyway.</p><p>The Rockets hope to take a step and make the playoffs next season with internal growth from their core of players, but they are very much in the hunt for a big star as well. It is just a matter of who comes available and when.</p><p>Houston might have to buy time and eventually extend Sengun and Green next year.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Rockets not ready to max Alperen Sengun, Jalen Green

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba-rumors-rockets-superstar-trade-dreams-get-far-fetched-update');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Rockets’ superstar trade dreams get far-fetched update');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Suns-news-Fans-react-to-Devin-Booker-being-named-as-future-Rockets-trade-target.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Rockets’ superstar trade dreams get far-fetched update</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-06-28T23:07:20-07:00">June 28th, 11:07pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-06-28T23:07:20-07:00">June 28th, 11:07pm</time><address><a href="https://letterboxd.com/splooshpuhrty/films/by/your-rating/">Jedd Pagaduan</a>Jedd Pagaduan is a certified Clippers and Gunners fan, which means he's a very sports-traumatized individual. He now writes about sports instead as a form of therapy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The dust has settled on the 2024 NBA Draft, but here the Houston Rockets are, still unable to fulfill their dream of pulling off a blockbuster trade for a superstar to expedite their contending timeline. And now, it seems like a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rockets-blockbuster-trade-proposal-lands-suns-star-kevin-durant">trade of such magnitude</a> is looking more and more unlikely for the Rockets with each passing day.</p><p>However, the Rockets’ <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5599073/2024/06/28/nba-free-agency-paul-george-warriors-klay-thompson-kevin-durant/?utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=twhq&amp;source=twitterhq&amp;utm_source=substack" rel="noopener">inability to pull off</a> a major blockbuster trade for a star wing isn’t necessarily due to the unavailability of prospective trade targets. The Rockets, according to Sam Amick and Anthony Slater of The Athletic, “are only interested in star players whose timelines fit better with their young core” as per league sources.</p><p>This focus on players that fit the timeline of their young core means that an all-out pursuit of veteran stars such as Kevin Durant, Jimmy Butler, and Paul George that much more unlikely. Amick and Slater brought up the Rockets’ decision to pass on a James Harden reunion as evidence that they’re not really in the business of acquiring veterans who are approaching the wrong side of 30.</p><p>The Rockets, added Amick and Slater, are setting their sights on younger potential franchise cornerstones in Donovan Mitchell, Zion Williamson, and Devin Booker. Mitchell is well on his way to signing a huge extension with the Cleveland Cavaliers, while both Williamson and Booker are under contract for four more seasons, making it close to impossible that the New Orleans Pelicans and Phoenix Suns, respectively, trade them away.</p><p>Something has to change for the Rockets if they were to pull off a blockbuster trade this offseason. The good news is that they have time on their side. They have a solid core of players who are younger than 23, which means that they should have a few more years to wait if their prime trade targets become available.</p><h2><b>Rockets’ young core is only getting better</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Alperen-Sengun-dapping-up-Jalen-Green-1.jpg"></figure><p>Back in March, the Rockets went on a heater that showed fans that they are much closer to playoff contention than many think. Alperen Sengun went down with injury during that time, but the Rockets’ other youngsters, such as Jalen Green, Amen Thompson, and Jabari Smith Jr., all stepped up their games.</p><p>It’s important to note that all four of those aforementioned players are 22 years of age or younger at the moment. That quartet should already make 95 percent of the league jealous. But then a Rockets team that was already rich in quality young players only got richer with the addition of Reed Sheppard, the sweet shooting guard out of Kentucky who went third overall in this year’s draft.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rockets-gm-makes-eye-opening-reed-sheppard-admission-amid-nba-draft">Rockets are adding Sheppard</a> to the young bench crew of Cam Whitmore and Tari Eason. They also <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/hawks-news-aj-griffin-rockets-trade-nba-draft">traded for AJ Griffin</a> in a buy-low trade. Griffin is only 21 years old; he flashed some nice 3 and D potential during his rookie season before fading into obscurity during the 2023-24 campaign.</p><p>As mentioned earlier, the Rockets can wait and see if they need to blow all their assets right now in an attempt to win now or whether the young players they already have on the roster could step up and be the star the team needs. Alas, the Rockets roster is going to be very expensive soon, with Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun both up for extensions, which might explain the team’s urgency to grab who they think is the missing piece to their contending puzzle.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Rockets’ superstar trade dreams get far-fetched update

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba-rumors-stephen-a-smith-suns-kevin-durant-experience');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Suns trade update dumps cold water on Stephen A. Smith’s Kevin Durant claim');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/NBA-rumors-Stephen-A.-Smith-claims-Suns-want-out-of-Kevin-Durant-experience.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Suns trade update dumps cold water on Stephen A. Smith’s Kevin Durant claim</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-06-26T10:01:13-07:00">June 26th, 10:01am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-06-26T10:09:50-07:00">June 26th, 10:09am</time><address><a>Preston Byers</a>Preston Byers is an experienced writer and journalist who currently serves as an associate editor for ClutchPoints and as a staff writer at The Vindicator and Tribune Chronicle, where he covers sports in the Mahoning Valley. Previously, Preston worked as an associate editor for Dot Esports and a site expert for FanSided's Union and Blue.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rockets-blockbuster-trade-proposal-lands-suns-star-kevin-durant">Kevin Durant received</a> quite a bit of criticism over the past several years for leaving teams. The first instance came in 2016 when Durant left the Oklahoma City Thunder for the Golden State Warriors, with whom KD won two titles. Durant only spent three seasons with the Warriors before teaming up with Kyrie Irving (and eventually James Harden) on the Brooklyn Nets, but after fewer than four seasons in Brooklyn, Durant was traded to the Phoenix Suns. And now according to ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, the Suns want to trade Durant.</p><p>Durant, who is one of the most lethal scorers in NBA history, arrived in Phoenix via a trade with the Nets in February 2023. The move was new Suns owner Mat Ishbia’s first big act after buying the team, but the trade hasn’t paid off so far. Durant was injured for an extended period in 2023 and could not develop the necessary chemistry needed before the Suns were eliminated from the playoffs by the eventual NBA Champions, the Denver Nuggets.</p><p>Things didn’t go any better this season either despite Phoenix trading for Bradley Beal. The Suns, who struggled with injuries once again during the regular season, were swept by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the postseason, calling into question if the trio of Durant, Beal, and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/suns-news-devin-booker-rockets-trade">Devin Booker could achieve</a> championship success together.</p><p>If the Suns believe the answer to be no, a trade involving Durant could be on the horizon. And Smith, who <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1805993976396468666" rel="noopener">clarified that he is</a> “reporting” and not giving his opinion, said the Suns want to trade Durant.</p><p>“‘Pay no attention to what Phoenix is saying. They want out of Kevin Durant right now’. That’s number one,” Smith said, seemingly reading off a text message. “Number two, also, Houston doesn’t want Kevin Durant. (Rockets coach) Ime Udoka may want him, but organizationally, they know that they are not there yet, so their plans are more long-range. And they would prefer a Devin Booker, who they know it’s a slim chance they’ll get, but that would be their preference.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">"Pay no attention to what Phoenix is saying. They want out of Kevin Durant right now… Houston doesn't want Kevin Durant, Ime Udoka may want him."</p><p>Stephen A. Smith 🗣️</p><p>(via <a href="https://twitter.com/FirstTake?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FirstTake</a>)<a href="https://t.co/4JAX1YJzOC">pic.twitter.com/4JAX1YJzOC</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1805993976396468666?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 26, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>It <a href="https://x.com/DuaneRankin/status/1806000359263060404" rel="noopener">should be noted</a>, however, that AZCentral’s Duane Rankin said that “the Phoenix Suns aren’t looking to trade Kevin Durant and the Suns are ‘riding’ with Devin Booker, Bradley Beal and Durant.”</p><p> </p><h2><b>Kevin Durant trade rumors swirling</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Kevin-Durant-1.jpg"><figcaption>Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>If the rumors or Stephen A. Smith’s report are true, then Kevin Durant would seem to be on the move sooner rather than later. Over the past few days, rumors have begun to swirl that Durant was a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-kevin-durant-rockets-mikal-bridges">target of the Houston Rockets</a>. The rumors seemed to heat up, especially after the Rockets’ trade with Durant’s old team, the Brooklyn Nets, which involved their own 2025 and 2026 first-round draft picks Brooklyn had traded away to acquire James Harden in 2020, as well as the Suns’ 2027 first-round pick and other picks involving the Suns.</p><p>Logically, if the Suns plan to trade Durant, they would have to get some valuable draft capital back, particularly because the Suns have mortgaged nearly every draft pick they would have over the next half-decade in order to acquire Durant and Beal. If the Suns now traded Durant to Houston, the Rockets could offer Phoenix some of its own draft picks, which could be very, very valuable if the team tanks.</p><p>That being said, it is still unclear where or even if Durant will be traded. The Suns have many reasons to not ship out the aging All-Star, including upsetting Devin Booker, who spent years toiling away on one of the worst teams in the NBA. But there may be no better time to hit the proverbial reset button than right now for Phoenix.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Suns trade update dumps cold water on Stephen A. Smith’s Kevin Durant claim

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba-rumors-kevin-durant-rockets-mikal-bridges');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Kevin Durant ‘connected’ to Rockets after Mikal Bridges trade');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Kevin-Durant-connected-to-Rockets-after-Mikal-Bridges-trade.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Kevin Durant ‘connected’ to Rockets after Mikal Bridges trade</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-06-26T07:00:04-07:00">June 26th, 7:00am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-06-26T07:00:04-07:00">June 26th, 7:00am</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/joey.mistretta/" rel="facebook">Joey Mistretta</a>Joey Mistretta is a Dallas Mavericks beat reporter and lead MLB editor for ClutchPoints. He is originally from a small town in Southern California. Mistretta graduated college with a degree in broadcast journalism from Biola University.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Kevin Durant is one of the best players in the NBA. The Phoenix Suns remain hopeful that Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal can lead the team to a championship. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/best-kevin-durant-trade-destinations-demands-suns-exit">Trade rumors have swirled</a> around the stars, however. Most recently, Durant has reportedly been connected to the Houston Rockets.</p><p>The Rockets are rumored to have interest in adding Durant. Houston displayed signs of becoming a contending team with their young core of players in 2023-24. Trading for a superstar like Durant would turn them into a serious contender.</p><p>On Tuesday, the Brooklyn Nets <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/grading-blockbuster-mikal-bridges-trade-involving-nets-knicks-rockets">traded Mikal Bridges</a> to the New York Knicks in a deal that led to a number of picks being swapped between teams. Houston returned a Nets 2026 first round pick for a Suns 2027 first round pick. They also acquired a right to swap with a Suns 2025 first round pick. So <a href="https://x.com/ESPNRadio/status/1805925132944240786" rel="noopener">how does this impact</a> a potential Rockets’ pursuit of Durant?</p><p>“That’s what they’re setting up for (to acquire Durant),” NBA insider Brian Windhorst said on ESPN radio. “Giving up the access to the Nets draft was done with the purpose of making a deal now… They made this trade specifically to attempt to make a deal with the Suns. They did it to make a deal with the Suns now.”</p><h2><b>Kevin Durant’s interest in potential trade</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Kevin-Durant.jpg"><figcaption>Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>The Suns have potential to compete for a championship with their stars leading the team. Phoenix also had depth concerns this past season, though. Durant has displayed a willingness to move on from teams in the past, which is something to consider in this situation.</p><p>At the moment, Windhorst has not heard any news about Durant seeking a trade, however.</p><p>“To my knowledge, Kevin Durant has not asked for a trade,” Windhorst continued. “However, there are definite connections between Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets.”</p><p>Durant enjoyed another impressive season in 2023-24. The Suns star averaged 27.1 points per game on 52.3 percent field goal and 41.3 percent three-point shooting across 75 games played. He added 6.6 rebounds and 5.0 assists per outing. Durant’s play led to a ninth place finish in MVP voting.</p><p>Kevin Durant and Devin Booker are one of the best duos in the league. Beal endured some ups and downs in his first season with the Suns, but he still features the ceiling of a superstar. The Suns will have an opportunity to play at a high level if all three stars return.</p><p>That is certainly not guaranteed at the moment, though. Durant has been linked to a number of teams in trade rumors. Booker has also been mentioned as a possible trade candidate.</p><p>Phoenix will consider all of their options before making a move. If they receive an offer that is too enticing to pass on, perhaps they will consider trading one or both of the stars. Again, though, the Suns could look to run it back with championship aspirations. They do not need to enter a rebuild right now.</p><h2><b>Rockets outlook</b></h2><p>The Rockets are in an especially interesting position. They have been rebuilding over the years. Houston’s core of future stars makes them a landing destination for multiple stars in free agency or via trades.</p><p>It seems likely that the Rockets will add at least one more star this offseason. The question is if that star will be Kevin Durant, something that will become more clear over the next few weeks.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Kevin Durant ‘connected’ to Rockets after Mikal Bridges trade

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba-rumors-rockets-grizzlies-marcus-smart-trade-gains-buzz');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Rockets-Grizzlies Marcus Smart trade gains buzz');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/NBA-rumors-Rockets-Grizzlies-Marcus-Smart-trade-gains-buzz.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Rockets-Grizzlies Marcus Smart trade gains buzz</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-06-25T06:53:26-07:00">June 25th, 6:53am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-06-25T08:59:59-07:00">June 25th, 8:59am</time><address><a href="https://letterboxd.com/splooshpuhrty/films/by/your-rating/">Jedd Pagaduan</a>Jedd Pagaduan is a certified Clippers and Gunners fan, which means he's a very sports-traumatized individual. He now writes about sports instead as a form of therapy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>It is almost guaranteed that the Houston Rockets become one of the teams with the most eventful 2024 offseason. Sensing that their rebuilding project is <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-rockets-still-holding-out-hope-mikal-bridges-trade">about to take off</a>, they are looking to add the missing pieces that will help establish them as a legitimate playoff team in the Western Conference.</p><p>And it seems as though the stars are aligning for the Rockets with regards to a potential trade partner in the Memphis Grizzlies that will help both teams achieve their roster-building goals.</p><p>As of late, there has been plenty of smoke regarding a potential trade-up from the Grizzlies with the goal of drafting Donovan Clingan. At present, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-grizzlies-most-frequent-team-connected-to-donovan-clingan-trade-up">Grizzlies have the ninth-overall pick</a>, but it’s unlikely that Clingan is on the board by the time they make the selection.</p><p>Meanwhile, the Rockets have been linked to a few potential trades involving the third-overall pick, which includes a potential scenario in which they trade down.</p><p>Thus, the Rockets and Grizzlies could perhaps reach an agreement with Marcus Smart being used as the trade sweetener to allow Memphis to <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/this-week-in-basketball-can-only-9df?utm_source=post-email-title&amp;publication_id=392205&amp;post_id=145951059&amp;utm_campaign=email-post-title&amp;isFreemail=false&amp;r=39f60&amp;triedRedirect=true&amp;utm_medium=email" rel="noopener">move up six spots</a> in the 2024 NBA Draft, as per NBA insider Marc Stein.</p><p>Stein also noted that the possibility of a Smart plus the ninth-overall pick for the third-overall selection trade is “being mentioned with increasing regularity by various league insiders.”</p><p>The Grizzlies made a huge move for Smart just last year, so it’s not quite clear why they would dangle him in trade talks to move up in a relatively weak draft without even looking at how their team performs at full strength.</p><p>For the Rockets, adding a former Defensive Player of the Year who’s on an affordable contract could be a huge get. Fans of both teams should stay tuned as to how they will be maneuvering come draft night.</p><h2>Rockets to shoot for the stars still?</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Rockets-center-Alperen-Sengun-28-and-guard-Jalen-Green-4-come-out-the-locker-room.jpg"></figure><p>The Rockets look like a team that’s ready to go big-game hunting, and there is a clear position of need for the team if they were to take the next step to playoff contention. Marcus Smart is a helpful piece who has been part of plenty of winning teams in the past, but he is not exactly moving the needle for a Rockets team that finished 41-41 last season.</p><p>Thus, even with their interest in Smart becoming more and more apparent, the Rockets should still be a team to keep an eye out for in trade talks for star players on the wing. Stein even wrote that the Rockets, “rest assured,” will be in hot pursuit of Paul George, Brandon Ingram or Jimmy Butler in the coming weeks.</p><p>Of course, some of those trade candidates are more plausible than others. George, in particular, may not be the player the Rockets organization deems as the missing piece.</p><p>The Los Angeles Clippers forward may be available for trade, especially with his player option deadline coming fast, but the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-rockets-targeting-paul-george-but-theres-a-catch">Rockets are reportedly “unlikely”</a> to acquire the 34-year-old two-way wing, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.</p><p>Meanwhile, Jimmy Butler has been the face of the Heat franchise since he joined the team in 2019. He has been the leader of teams that have defied expectations and made deep playoff runs.</p><p>Butler is only under contract for one more guaranteed season, as he has a player option for the 2025-26 campaign. However, Butler, like George, is already 34 years of age. He may not be the best fit for the Rockets’ timeline. The Heat are expected to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/heat-news-jimmy-butler-contract-extension-trade-rumors-key-pat-riley-update">keep Butler out of trade talks</a> anyways.</p><p>But the Rockets’ M.O. is clear; they are hell-bent on adding a defensive-minded wing who fits the current team’s identity like hand and glove.</p><h2><b>Will the Grizzlies play the waiting game?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Lakers-LeBron-James-against-Grizzlies-Ja-Morant.jpg"></figure><p>It’s understandable why the Grizzlies would want to secure the services of a potential long-term partner for Jaren Jackson Jr. in the frontcourt.</p><p>The team’s center position has been a revolving door ever since Steven Adams went down with injury in 2023, and the Grizzlies have had much success with a strong interior presence who can clean up on the glass and set hard screens, providing a solid complement to Jackson’s more finesse style of offense.</p><p>But the Grizzlies gave up Tyus Jones and two first-round picks for Marcus Smart not even a year to this day. Smart is one of the best point-of-attack defenders in the league, and he’ll be making an <a href="https://www.spotrac.com/nba/player/_/id/15358/marcus-smart" rel="noopener">average of $20.9 million</a> for the next two seasons — a very acceptable contract.</p><p>The Grizzlies didn’t have much of a fair shot at contending last season anyway what with all the injury woes they experienced.</p><p>Smart has proven his worth in the past to contending teams. Given the Grizzlies’ contending aspirations, it’ll be interesting to see if they still hold Smart in as high of a regard as they did last year when they gave up all those assets to acquire him or if they believe that using him to trade up for Donovan Clingan is the move.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Rockets-Grizzlies Marcus Smart trade gains buzz

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba-rumors-rockets-targeting-paul-george-but-theres-a-catch');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Rockets targeting Paul George, but there’s a catch');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Rockets-targeting-Paul-George-but-theres-a-catch.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Rockets targeting Paul George, but there’s a catch</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-06-24T07:56:26-07:00">June 24th, 7:56am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-06-24T07:56:26-07:00">June 24th, 7:56am</time><address><a href="https://letterboxd.com/splooshpuhrty/films/by/your-rating/">Jedd Pagaduan</a>Jedd Pagaduan is a certified Clippers and Gunners fan, which means he's a very sports-traumatized individual. He now writes about sports instead as a form of therapy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>One of the worst-kept secrets in the entire NBA is the Houston Rockets’ desire to further add fuel to their rebuilding project that may be one piece away from a full-blown take-off. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-rockets-no-3-trade-buzz-intensifies">Rockets have the young assets</a> and draft capital to pull off a trade, and they appear to be focusing on adding a star-level forward to give them a two-way weapon on the wing. With this in mind, could the Rockets find themselves squarely in the hunt for Paul George?</p><p>Five seasons after pulling off a blockbuster trade for George, the Los Angeles Clippers appear to be nearing the end of their rope with the 34-year old forward. George is set to enter the final year of his contract, as he has a player option worth around $48.8 million for the 2023-24 campaign. But with the two parties not seeing eye to eye in contract extension negotiations, George appears to be <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-paul-george-holds-clippers-preference-ahead-of-free-agency">primed for a departure</a>, with it being very likely that he opts into his contract so that the Clippers could trade him away. This could <a href="https://hoopshype.com/lists/aggregate-2024-nba-mock-draft-paul-george-tyrese-maxey-free-agency-zach-lavine-trade-talks/" rel="noopener">pave the way</a> for the Rockets to acquire him.</p><p>Alas, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported that, according to his sources, “the chances of Houston landing George are unlikely.” The Rockets may be “big-game hunting”, as Scotto noted, but it looks as if they’ll be going in another direction when it comes to loading up their roster this offseason.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/clippers-news-paul-george-reveals-priority-in-free-agency-and-its-not-an-nba-title">George may not have helped</a> his stock whatsoever with some of his most recent comments in his eponymous podcast, but he should still be one of the best two-way wings in the league moving forward — a must for any contending team to have on the roster. 6’8 forwards who average 23-5-4 while being one of the best floor-spacers in the association don’t grow on trees.</p><p>But the Rockets’ purported hesitation in going all-in on Paul George is understandable. They might prefer someone who can grow alongside their young core; meanwhile, George is entering the twilight years of his career. It will be interesting to see how the Rockets maneuver, especially when they’re armed with the third overall pick of the upcoming NBA Draft.</p><h2><b>Assessing the Rockets’ options</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Mikal-Bridges-looking-sad.jpg"></figure><p>The Rockets have the luxury of choice when it comes to making their big move for this offseason. They can cobble together the contracts necessary to pull off a trade for a star player, and they have two future Brooklyn Nets picks that could be worth a lot given how much that roster appears to be in disarray these days. This is in addition to <a href="https://fanspo.com/nba/teams/Rockets/11/draft-picks" rel="noopener">all their first-round picks</a> that they still own (they are only obligated to give up their 2026 first-round pick if it falls outside the top four).</p><p>Moreover, they also have some few young prospects to dangle; Cam Whitmore and Tari Eason could be breakout candidates in larger roles that may not be available for them with the Rockets while Jabari Smith Jr. is only 21 and could be a major piece in a monster trade. The Rockets are in an enviable position, and they can always add the third overall pick of the 2024 NBA Draft to sweeten the deal even further.</p><p>With that said, Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo of ESPN wrote that the Rockets <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/story/_/id/40403204/2024-nba-mock-draft-latest-first-second-round-predictions-all-58-picks" rel="noopener">“could have interest</a> in targeting” the likes of Kevin Durant, Jimmy Butler, Mikal Bridges and Brandon Ingram to fill their need for a star on the wing.</p><p>Given how much the Phoenix Suns gave up for Durant, there is no way they are giving up on him after just one and a half seasons. Durant is also under contract for two more years, so there is no urgency for the Suns to trade him away.</p><p>Butler, like Durant, is also under contract for two more seasons. The catch, however, is that he has a player option for the 2025-26 campaign. All reports suggest, however, that the Miami Heat aren’t interested in trading Jimmy Butler this offseason even though they aren’t willing to give him a huge extension.</p><p>The Nets already rebuffed the Rockets’ trade overtures for Mikal Bridges; can the two teams finally come to an agreement on a trade? Brandon Ingram is well on his way out of New Orleans; but do the Rockets see him as the piece that pushes them over the top?</p><p>The Rockets, per Givony and Woo, could also look into trading for Brook Lopez, someone they reportedly pursued in free agency last year, and they could also entertain the idea of trading for Marcus Smart to further add to their gritty, defensive identity.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

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