You'll recall that the Rockets made an aggressive bid to land Jimmy Butler from the Wolves before Minnesota ultimately dealt him to the 76ers last fall, reportedly offering as many as four first-round picks for General Soreness. (You have to wonder, by the way, if Timberwolves President Gersson Rosas, who was sitting on the other side of that proposed deal eight months ago, would prefer to have all those picks now instead of Robert Covington.)
What's done is done. But the Rockets aren't done in their pursuit of Butler. Per Adrian Wojnarowski, the Rockets are trying to finagle a sign-and-trade deal for Butler with the 76ers. Or in Woj's words, they are "planning to recruit Jimmy Butler to push the Philadelphia 76ers for a sign-and-trade deal."
It seems a bit far-fetched, but if you're looking for a guy to put pressure on a team to make a deal, Butler has the experience, know-how and temperament to do it.
Read Michael Rand's blog at startribune.com/randball. michael.rand@startribune.com.
