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The Houston Rockets are trying to engineer a trade for Minnesota Timberwolves guard Jimmy Butler and have made an offer which includes four future first-round NBA Draft picks. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN was the first to report the rumor.
Story posting soon: The Houston Rockets are making a renewed bid to acquire Minnesota All-Star Jimmy Butler, including four future first-round draft picks in their most recent trade offer, league sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 25, 2018
In the follow-up article, Wojnarowski explains that the Rockets have been after Butler since the beginning of the season. They’re pushing the pedal to the metal to get him.
The Rockets’ offer constitutes the maximum number of first-round picks allowable in a deal, factoring in league rules that necessitate no first-rounders can be conveyed in successive years, and no pick can be traded farther out than seven seasons.
The lottery protections on picks in this proposed deal would be limited.
The particulars on those picks are detailed, owing to the NBA’s Ted Stepien Rule, which prevents teams from leaving themselves without first-round picks in consecutive future years, and the prohibition on trading picks more than seven years out.
If Rockets were to offer 4 future first-round picks, they’d need to be in 2019, 2021, 2023 and 2025… Pick protections would be limited, but can technically be placed on any or all of the picks. It’s perhaps most likely any such protections would only impact the latter pick(s).
— Albert Nahmad (@AlbertNahmad) October 25, 2018
7-year rule allows a team to trade up to 4 picks between 2019 to 2025. The first has to alternate each year (19, 21, 23 and 25) and cannot have protection unless the pick does not rollover to the following season. Ex: Protected top 14 and doesn’t convey if HOU is in the lottery.
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) October 25, 2018
Butler averaged 24.8 ppg, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.5 assists for the Timberwolves last season.