Philadelphia 76ers: 5 teams who pose biggest threat in free agency

3. Houston Rockets

The Rockets are relative newcomers to the race, but ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski insists Houston will make a push for Jimmy Butler. Houston lacks cap space, but it’s not impossible to see Butler forcing the Sixers’ hand with a sign-and-trade.

In a sense, it’s the most palatable way to lose Butler. The Sixers would at least recuperate some value, with a package centered around Eric Gordon and Clint Capela likely shipped to Philadelphia in return.

The Sixers would receive useful assets and have a path toward contention in Butler’s absence. Butler would get to play near his hometown on a team with championship aspirations and two future Hall of Famers.

Butler’s fit in Houston is a bit curious. He’s not much of a catch-and-shoot guy, which at times hindered his fit in Philadelphia. The Rockets are built on isolations and spot-up shooting, which would relegate Butler to an unfamiliar role next to James Harden and Chris Paul.

It would take major adjustments from all parties, as well as Mike D’Antoni, to make things work. Butler would need to pull the trigger on more threes, while Harden and CP3 would need to cede possessions to Butler.

There’s a chance I’m misreading the Butler-Houston reports and the former holds no real interest in the latter. But Woj is a well-sourced reporter and, as the old adage so prophetically states, where there’s smoke, there’s fire.