Jeremy Lin and the Houston Rockets are firmly in the playoff race at the top of the western conference and as they battle teams around the league, reports have come out that the team is no longer interested in trying to trade for Brooklyn Nets point guard Deron Williams and this comes after rumors connected the two for years when Williams was set to be a free agent.
According to ESPN.com and SB Nation, CBS Sports writer Ken Berger reports that while the Rockets were very interested in Williams at one time, the team no longer is looking at Williams as a realistic or a potential move. The report says that the Rockets were hoping to add Williams, a Texas native, to a lineup with Dwight Howard, but once Williams and his frequent ankle issues cropped up again over the past year, the team changed their mind. While the report doesn't say the Rockets were planning on trading Jeremy Lin if they made that move, but some have speculated that would have been the secondary option after making a move for Williams.
Earlier in the year, reports came out that the Nets and Rockets were working on a deal with Williams, Jeremy Lin and Omer Asik, but obviously that never went through. The two sides started talking about a deal, but not much happened after that and now the report says that the Rockets no longer are looking at Williams as a trade target.
The Rockets are looking to trade Omer Asik after the Boston Celtics deal fell through earlier this season and now the San Antonio Spurs or the New Orleans Pelicans could be options for him going forward. Lin has been solid this season while averaging 30 minutes per game in 26 appearances and he has been averaging 14.1 points and four assists this season.
The Lakers and Rockets played this past week and the game saw a nice start for Kendall Marshall in his first game starting for LA and he went for 20 points and 15 assists and that got new Lakers coach and former Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni to compare that performance to Lin when he was with the team. Marshall has been playing very well for the team recently, averaging 15.7 points, 12.7 assists and 5.0 rebounds in three starts and his play is one reason why the team may be able to turn things around. The Rockets are now second in the southwest division and are 23-13 on the season.
