The Houston Rockets did not match the contract for Chandler Parsons and now may look at a Rajon Rondo trade or the option of jumping into the Kevin Love trade rumors again, as Chris Bosh also signed elsewhere and now the team has the space to try and make another big move and a trade with the Boston Celtics or Minnesota Timberwolves could be in the cards after Omer Asik and Jeremy Lin were traded.
The Rockets have long been targeting Rondo and now that the team has missed out on the major free agents, trades appear to be the next move for Daryl Morey. According to Marc Stein from ESPN.com, the Rockets now may "re-enter" trade talks for Rondo or Kevin Love, as those two were targets for the team earlier in the offseason. Stein also writes that Rondo has been a target for a long time for Morey and now that Lin is gone and Patrick Beverley is the main point guard, the team could look at a trade for an upgrade.
Stein writes that sources said that the Rockets would have matched the deal for Chandler Parsons had Chris Bosh signed, but he opted to stay with the Miami Heat. Parsons is now a member of the Mavericks and Houston has acquired Trevor Ariza in a sign and trade deal. According to ESPN.com, the Ariza deal came with the Omer Asik trade, which turned into a three team deal that sent players and trade exceptions around with Washington and the Pelicans. The Rockets now have another solid player up front and they cleared Asik from the cap after working out that trade near the draft.
The Rockets now feel that they can add another major name to the mix and that could be Rajon Rondo, as the Celtics could be willing to deal now that they have Marcus Smart. The Rockets are coming into the offseason looking to make major moves and a trade for Rajon Rondo or Kevin Love could be in the mix for GM Daryl Morey after he traded Jeremy Lin and Omer Asik and with Chandler Parsons off the books.
The Rockets beat most expectations and went 54-28 this season and finished in the top half of the western conference after signing Dwight Howard, but they were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs and that could mean Morey is proactive this offseason. The team is reportedly interested in separate deals for Rajon Rondo or Kevin Love and before the Rockets even get involved in those, the team also has to decide about what to do after Chandler Parsons left for the Mavs on his new contract.
The Rockets are another team that is in the mix for Kevin Love, but they will need to get creative to make that happen. According to Marc Stein, the Rockets will look at making a deal for Love and what they have to do regarded Omer Asik and Jeremy Lin, as they have now been traded. The two players were coming into the final years of their deals so that helps GM Daryl Morey since the contracts are expiring ones. The Knicks are in a similar situation, but its' unclear if the Timberwolves are looking for young players or first round picks in any trade they pull off for Love.