Lost in the shuffle in the NBA offseason is where secondary stars like Jimmy Butler will end up for the 2019-20 NBA season and the Houston Rockets have emerged as the favorite to nab the four-time all-star.
Online sportsbook Sportsbook has the Rockets as +100 faves to land Butler, with his former team, the Philadelphia 76ers, trailing them at +150. Following those two suitors are the Brooklyn Nets (+800), Los Angeles Clippers (+800) and New York Knicks (+900) to round out the top five teams on the oddsboard.
Why Are The Rockets The Favorite?
The main reason why the Houston Rockets are the betting favorite to land Jimmy Butler during the NBA offseason is they’re a top contender in the Western Conference and they can pair him with James Harden and Chris Paul. This transaction would likely make Houston the favorite to win the 2019-20 NBA championship.
Rockets GM Daryl Morey has always been brash about acquiring high-end talent and in order to bring Butler (a Houston native) to the team, he would need to facilitate a sign-and-trade with Philadelphia and involve a potential third team to make salaries match because the Rockets don’t have cap space.
Butler drives the bus on this decision because, technically, he’s a free agent and can sign where he chooses, but the Sixers are also hoping to retain him. If Butler decides he doesn’t want to play in Philadelphia anymore, the 76ers would be smart to accommodate a sign-and-trade so they don’t lose him for nothing. Houston has some interesting assets to dangle in a trade such as Eric Gordon, PJ Tucker, Clint Capela and potential draft picks.
That being said, bettors shouldn’t discount the Sixers to retain him as they are the lone team that can offer Butler the full five-year max salary, which is something that he may covet at the age of 29. Especially since he has been injury-prone and has only played more than 70 regular-season games once since 2012.
He hasn’t made his intentions clear but being able to pair up with Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons while pushing the Raptors to seven games in the playoffs should not be lost on Butler.
What do you think? Will Jimmy Butler push for a trade to the Rockets or will he stick with the Sixers? Have your say in the comments.
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Houston Rockets | +100 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | +150 |
| Los Angeles Clippers | +800 |
| Brooklyn Nets | +800 |
| New York Knicks | +900 |
| Los Angeles Lakers | +1000 |
Odds as of June 27 at Sportsbook
