The Houston Rockets are reportedly interested in reuniting with Los Angeles Lakers point guard Jeremy Lin, who will become an unrestricted free agent after the 2014-15 NBA season.
The Rockets traded Lin to the Lakers in the offseason. But according to Howard Beck of Bleacher Report, the Rockets remain high on Lin, who averaged 12.5 points and 4.1 assists in 71 regular-season games in Houston last season.
Sources indicated that the Rockets were only forced to trade Lin to get his contract out of their books to make room for another superstar. They made a run to acquire Carmelo Anthony and Chris Bosh, but both superstars ended up staying with the New York Knicks and Miami Heat, respectively.
"The Rockets needed salary-cap room last July to make a frenzied, all-out bid for Chris Bosh. So they offloaded Lin's hefty contract, along with a first-round pick, to the Lakers," Beck wrote. "It was purely a bookkeeping move. The Rockets remain high on Lin and are expected to be among his chief suitors this summer."
The Rockets are expected to shop for a point guard before the trade deadline on Thursday and in the offseason, especially now that Patrick Beverley is failing to live up to expectation.
Lin will reportedly be on top of their list should they decide to fill their point guard needs in the summer, but they are also expected to make a run at acquiring Phoenix Suns point guard Goran Dragic.
Lin, who is averaging 10.2 points to go along with 4.6 assists and 2.4 rebounds for the Lakers this season, has been mentioned in numerous trade rumors over the past several days.
The Lakers, who are currently in 14th place in Western Conference standings with their 13-40 record, are reportedly looking to trade Lin for a future asset for their rebuilding instead of just losing him for nothing via free agency in the offseason.
The Lakers are convinced playoff teams will express interest in Lin before the deadline, but Sean Deveney of Sporting News recently reported that the market for the 26-year-old point guard has been very weak as of late.
ESPN insider Nick Borges also reported that the Lakers are having a hard time trading the former Harvard University standout because of his big contract this season.
"Lin is on the salary cap this season for $8.37 million, but he's actually making close to $15 million as part of the offer sheet he signed with the Houston Rockets in July of 2012," Borges wrote via Inquistr. "Lin is currently still owed $6.05 million this season. For that reason and his lack of production, the Lakers can only deal Lin if they are willing to take back an equally bad contract."
