Looking to clear the way for a sign-and-trade for Philadelphia 76ers All-Star Jimmy Butler, the Houston Rockets are shopping center Clint Capela, guard Eric Gordon and forward P.J. Tucker to cap-abundant teams, ESPN reported Wednesday.
Citing league sources, ESPN reported the Rockets are shopping those players individually, seeking the best available first-round pick that they could then include in a deal for Butler.
If the 76ers and Butler are amenable to the deal, the Rockets would need to move two or all three of those players to Philadelphia or another team in order for the salaries to match a max contract for Butler, which would be $140 million over four years.
Capela has four years, $66 million left on his contract; Gordon has $14 million over two years; and Tucker $16 million over two years, with only $2.6 million of his second year guaranteed. The Rockets lack the salary-cap space to sign Butler without a deal.
The 76ers are confident they can sign Butler and free agent Tobias Harris to new deals, league sources told ESPN, though Butler’s level of interest is unclear as free agency is set to begin Sunday. Philadelphia hasn’t ruled out re-signing Butler to a contract of four or five years with the intention of keeping him.
Butler, 29, averaged 18.2 points in 55 regular-season games with the 76ers after being acquired from Minnesota in November.
Capela, 25, averaged career highs of 16.6 points and 12.2 rebounds per game in 67 starts last season, his fifth in Houston.
Gordon, 30, averaged 16.2 points while shooting 36 percent from 3-point range, and Tucker averaged 7.3 points and 5.8 rebounds while shooting 37.7 percent from deep.
