This is both weird and not so weird.
The Houston Rockets are known to be shopping disgruntled center Omer Asik, but according to ESPN New York 98.7 FM’s and MSG Networks’ Alan Hahn, they may also be gauging value for Jeremy Lin as well. Audio of what Hahn said can be found here while a transcription of his report is below, both courtesy of The Dream Shake’s Patrick Patrick Harrel:
And I know this is blasphemy, but I’m telling you right now: Jeremy Lin could also be on his way out of Houston. If they can find a taker for him and that contract … like I said from what I heard, I’ve talked to some GM’s from around the league, there is a strong feeling that if the Rockets can find a taker, they will definitely move Jeremy Lin, that’s for sure.
“Blasphemy” isn’t the word I would use. “Puzzling” fits the situation better.
Last season, or even before this season, dealing Lin would have made sense. It would have even been preferred. Lin spent all of last year battling inefficiency while also struggling to coexist alongside superstar James Harden. Ball-dominators by trade, the two just weren’t a good fit. Then came Dwight Howard, another person who would take the ball out of Lin’s hands. This wasn’t going to end well.
But we’ve seen just the opposite. Lin has been reborn in a sense, playing closer to a level that rivals the good ol’ days, when Linsanity was a commonly used term. He’s averaging 17.9 points and 5.3 assists per-36 minutes on 49.7 percent shooting overall and 37.7 percent shooting from deep, both of which are career highs. And he’s posted such marks off the bench, as an essential sixth man. For a shade under $8.4 million annually, that’s not bad at all.
So why would the Rockets want to trade him, especially when they’re not exactly flush with point guards?
Money. Green salad. Cap space.
Moving Lin, say, in favor of an expiring deal gives the Rockets flexibility this summer if they’re able to do the same with Asik. ESPN’s Marc Stein says a deal for Asik will be struck in the next few days, by Dec. 19. If the Rockets ship him out and receive nothing but blanks in return, they could position themselves to make a free-agency splash.
There’s also the possibility that the Rockets plan to net a point guard in return for Asik, thereby diminishing Lin’s internal value. Trading him under those circumstances will make sense, too. But will they?
That’s the tough part. Though Lin earns under $8.4 million annually on average, he is owed almost double that in 2014-15, because of the contract Houston signed him to in 2012. Interested teams won’t want to pay close to $15 million for someone who isn’t a star by conventional standards, even if their cap hold is under $8.4 million.
Not to say Lin is immovable. Chances are there is a team ready and willing to absorb the rest of his contract. His play this season has certainly helped. Yet, this all depends on the Rockets and how they handle Asik. Or what they get in return for Lin. Cannot imagine them dealing Lin unless a) they receive a point guard in return for him or b) they receive one in return for Asik.
Seems we’ll know the answer to the Asik part soon enough, so that’s something. Beyond that, nothing else we can do other than stay tuned.
Dan Favale is a firm believer in the three-pointer as well as the notion that defense doesn’t always win championships. His musings can be found at Bleacherreport.com in addition to TheHoopDoctors.com. Follow @danfavale on Twitter for his latest posts and all things NBA.
