Yes, you can root prune, even if the buds start to break. Use a pruning saw to take off the bottom few inches of the root ball. Additionally, you can remove about 1/3 of the roots from one side of the root ball, but do not cut all sides of the root ball. If you cut back the roots on one side, the remaining parts will nourish the tree while new roots grow. Just like when pruning branches, it's advisable to avoid removing more than 1/3 of the growth.