Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler named the Houston Rockets as one of his three preferred teams on Tuesday morning.
The Rockets, at first glance, appeared the most realistic landing spot for the six-time All-Star, outside of resigning with the Heat. Butler named the Dallas Mavericks and Golden State Warriors, but neither has an easy route to trading for the 35-year-old.
However, the Rockets now join the group with seemingly little intention of making a blockbuster trade. Houston's general manager, Rafael Stone, addressed the rumors just hours after the news about Butler broke.
"Of course my job is to be open to everything," Stone said on SiriusXM NBA Radio. "We like this team. You know, we definitely do not intend to change anything, and I would be shocked if something changes this season."
Considering the plethora of young assets on the Rockets' roster, it would be foolish not to explore what the Heat desire in return.
"We like where we're at," Stone continued. "We want to continue to develop our guys... Will I listen to other teams? Of course I will, that's my job. There's no part of me, [and] there's no part of our decision-making process, to suggest that we're looking to do anything big now or in the near term."
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Anthony Pasciolla works as a contributing writer to Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at ampasciolla@gmail.com or follow him on X @AnthonyPasci.