The Houston Rockets will have to add something extra if they are inclined to pursue Jimmy Butler from the Minnesota Timberwolves. While four future first-round draft picks seem more than enough, the T-Wolves want Eric Gordon added for to see some progress as soon as possible.
While it remains to be seen if the Rockets will heed the request of the T-Wolves, adding Gordon to the package makes a bit of sense – especially for Tom Thibodeau. Despite being given the free hand to handle the team, owner Glen Taylor wants to see results in a snap. There is no telling how deep future NBA drafts will be, meaning progress is key if the veteran coach wants to keep his post, Fansided said.
Asking for Gordon makes sense for the Timberwolves. They do need a guard to help stabilize their backcourt. Currently, there is Jeff Teague, Derrick Rose and Tyus Jones manning the backcourt so adding the former Sixth Man of the Year could be an added boost.
With big men Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins needing someone who can shoot from the outside to help them operate better inside, the 2017 NBA Three-Point Contest champion could help spread the floor even better.
For the Rockets, parting with Gordon is not expected to impact them too much. While the seventh overall pick of the 2008 NBA Draft has shown what he can do if, given the chance to perform, Houston finds itself loaded with guards who can easily fill the slack.
Spelling Chris Paul and James Harden are players like Michael Carter-Williams, Gerald Green and Brandon Knight, more than enough for the system of head coach Mike D’Antoni. So the question now is will Houston bite?
There are several scenarios that could happen. One is that should Gordon be included, the Rockets could lessen the future picks initially offered. They could take out one or two, depending on what team owner Tilman Fertitta decides.
Another possibility would be seeing the Rockets opting to make it a multiplayer trade. The forward position seems overloaded so packaging a couple with Gordon could make sense. If this should be the case, one or no draft picks could be lost for Houston.
For now, Thibodeau needs to find ways to keep the T-Wolves afloat. They dropped a heartbreaking loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, 125-95. Butler scored only four points in 24 minutes, a performance that immediately caught the attention of media.
On whether it was simply an off-night or a statement remains to be seen. But as far as Butler is concerned, there is no drama and that he simply had a horrendous outing, ESPN said.
