標籤: Butler

Recent reports are clearing the way for a monster trade that has Kevin Durant returning to the Golden State Warriors and Jimmy Butler returning to the Houston Rockets.

On Friday night, the Rockets saw their promising season come to a very disappointing end with a Game 6 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in Round 1 of the NBA Playoffs. What made their elimination more troubling is that they could not beat a Lakers team that was without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves for most of the series.

Still, this shouldn’t come as a complete shock. Something was going wrong with the Rockets team for several months. And it seemed like it all started with All-Star Weekend drama amid speculation that Durant had a Burner X account where he mocked his Houston teammates.

Most believed it was a foolish situation that would be quickly forgotten in the locker room. However, a new report from The Athletic’s William Guillory and Sam Amick adds to the debate that the All-Star Game allegations were a problem in the locker room and worsened because they were never formally addressed by the future Hall of Famer.

“Multiple league sources with close ties to Rockets players indicated that the social media situation was a significant distraction that was never resolved internally,” the report reveals. “…Privately, league sources said [Durant’s] The teammates agreed to keep the matter at home while they focused on basketball. It is unclear whether Durant ever made it clear to his associates whether the account was his or not.

Should the Houston Rockets consider trading Kevin Durant this summer?

All of this begs the question: Should the Rockets trade Durant this summer because he seems like a bad mix on a team that was on a massive upward trend before he arrived a year ago? The Guillory and Amick report provides reasons why this is unlikely. They gave him a waiver on the extension and opted to come to Houston. Plus, when Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams suffered season-ending injuries, the Rockets probably always had a ceiling.

Still, there have been major body language problems with this group for several months, and they’ve never come close to reaching the potential expected by most basketball pundits. Before things get worse, it may be wise to seek divorce instead of withdrawing. But where could the Rockets send Durant, and what could they get back?

Why trading Jimmy Butler for Kevin Durant makes sense

The danger in moving Durant is that Houston gave up a lot to get him. Can they really get the same value to chase the title in 2026-27? This limits the options significantly, but leaves an interesting idea. Trading Durant to the Warriors for Jimmy Butler.

It’s well established that the Warriors are eager to reunite with Durant after the 16-time All-Star helped lead them to three consecutive Finals trips – two wins – during his three seasons in California. The team has been searching for a superstar for the last two years and bringing back the devil they know, not the devil they don’t know.

Plus, while Butler was good in Golden State, we know for a fact that Durant is a better fit there. Especially if coach Steve Kerr returns next season. Additionally, a case can be made that Butler would be a better fit in Houston under Ime Udoka. A defensive-minded coach like Erik Spoelstra and Butler were fantastic with him in Miami.

The biggest issue is that the soon-to-be 37-year-old is trying to bounce back from a torn ACL. It would be understandable if the Rockets weren’t interested in two veterans potentially coming off ACL tears (VanVleet) next season. But matching the money in a trade in a Durant for Butler swap is far easier than most potential deals.

If Golden State is willing to give up a future first-round pick to sweeten the pot, it would be an offer Houston should seriously consider. A lineup of Kristaps Porzingis, Draymond Green, Durant, Stephen Curry and Brandin Podziemski, and Alpern Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr., Butler, Amen Thompson and VanVleet looks very good for the Warriors.

After earning a journalism degree in 2017, Jason Burgos worked as a contributor to several sites, including MMA Sacca… More about Jason Burgos

American tennis sensation and world No. 4 Coco Gauff is best known for being a longtime Miami Heat fan. The South Florida native has already revealed her love for the franchise, even taking inspiration from the 2023 race during her French Open win the same year.

So when Jimmy Buttler got the chance to meet the 21-year-old once again, he wasted no time in advocating for a change in the alliance.

“By the way, your team hurt me [Jimmy Butler]By the way. The heat hurt me. Yes, the heat hurt me. Change alliance. And remember, Steph [Curry] Now he’s on my team, so everyone loves Steph.

From Jimmy Butler to Coco Gough

(via @bnpparibasopen)

pic.twitter.com/dW1QmQSom9

– ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) 9 March 2026

“By the way, your team hurt me [Jimmy Butler]By the way. The heat hurt me. “Yeah, the heat hurt me,” he initially said, according to a clip on X by ClutchPoints. In response, Goff wanted to know what the Heat did.

Butler apparently left Miami in early 2025 after a lengthy dispute with the franchise that resulted in multiple suspensions. He cited Stephen Curry and immediately urged Goff to switch his alliance to the Warriors.

“So I just want to say, great, switch alliances. And remember, Steph [Curry] Now he’s on my team, so everybody loves Steph,” he said. Goff claimed she ‘knew’ the Heat hurt Butler, and claimed she regretted how things ended with the franchise.

“No, I can’t do that. I love Steph,” she said, which could be true for every basketball fan.

However, this was enough for Butler. He shouted and quickly turned towards the camera.

“Coco is a Warriors fan. Coco loves the Warriors. You all heard it. Coco is a Warriors fan. Clip it seriously, let’s go viral,” he told the gathered reporters.

Of course, like a true pro, Gough had no intention of changing his team. Following her historic 2023 French Open final win, Gauff also referenced Butler’s time on the Heat, claiming that if the six-time All-Star wasn’t nervous after being blown away by the Boston Celtics for a 3-0 lead in the Eastern Conference Finals, she “couldn’t have been nervous after losing the first set.”

Gough even said that as a fan she was “a little sad” after Butler’s exit, but claimed that she would still be rooting for him to succeed.

The Golden State Warriors suffered a 114-101 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night, an area that is hurting the team as they remain without Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler. While the Warriors wait for Curry’s injury to heal, the team is trying to somewhat keep the ship afloat, but they face another dilemma as it involves Draymond Green.

The non-Green minutes on Monday night were crucial for Los Angeles to come back strongly and take control of the game in the final 17 minutes of the game. Without Green’s defensive ability to keep players like Kawhi Leonard and others in check, the Clippers outscored Golden State 53-30 in a span of nearly 17 minutes.

However, the dilemma is Green’s minutes, as he turns 36 on Wednesday, his minutes are now subject to monitoring. He’s averaging 26.7 minutes per game as he played 31 minutes on Monday, marking the 11th time he’s scored more than 31 in 50 games this season.

Warriors’ Steve Kerr on Draymond Green’s minutes

The problem is compounded by the Warriors not having Curry, the team now has to figure out how to compensate in this area, although it goes without saying how important Green is.

“He’s still one of the great defenders in the league,” Golden State head coach Steve Kerr said, according to NBC Sports Bay Area. “And they set the tone in that first half, and we were able to keep the lead for most of the third quarter. But they took the lead late in the third quarter, and got it down to two going into the fourth.”

“But we had to take him out. He can’t play the whole game. And he played 31 minutes, which is a lot for him at this level,” Kerr added.

During that aforementioned stretch, the Warriors lost their 16-point lead and trailed by 17 points in the final frame. At any rate, Golden State looks to bounce back with its next game on Thursday night against the Houston Rockets.