The Houston Rockets are planning for a big summer and a trade for Rajon Rondo could be the top option for the team and that means they likely will have to deal Omer Asik, Jeremy Lin or Chandler Parsons to the Boston Celtics to get it done and past that, the team may look at names like Carmelo Anthony and Kyle Lowry in free agency as targets.
The Rockets can go after Anthony or Lowry this offseason if they can't pull off a trade, but Daryl Morey loves Rajon Rondo and will want to try and pry him from the Celtics. The two sides nearly had a deal last season, but the Rockets did not want to give up Parsons and now they would likely have to do that if any deal will get done. Anthony is a major target for teams and the Rockets will go after him without a trade for Rondo, but they still will have to clear Asik and Lin to get enough space for Anthony. Morey would love to make a big three with either Rondo or Anthony alongside Dwight Howard and James Harden.
The Rockets are coming into the offseason after losing to the Portland Trail Blazers in the playoffs and that means they could be looking at some major moves this summer. The team reportedly is interested in getting their hands on Carmelo Anthony and if that doesn't work they could go heavy on the Rondo trade. Morey knows that he needs one more piece alongside James Harden and Dwight Howard and while he doesn't want to give up Parsons to get it done, it might be the only way he gets his hands on Rondo. Last season Morey had trouble moving Omer Asik because he is getting paid a ton of money this year and while that number is still high, it's on an expiring contract and that could be enough to get a team to pull the trigger on a move.
The Knicks have the best chance to sign Melo because they can give him the most money and the most years, but with the salary cap expected to rise, teams like the Rockets and the Bulls can at least compete a bit at trying to woo him. Anthony is likely to stay, but he will be on the market for the first time in his career and teams will be trying to convince him that signing with them is better than staying with the Knicks. Right now, even with Phil Jackson and possibly Steve Kerr in the fold, they are likely right, as the team is coming off of a terrible season and that forced Anthony to miss the playoffs for the first time in his career and he can't be happy about that.
The Houston Rockets will be one of the most interesting teams to watch overall, as they are interested in signing Carmelo Anthony as a free agent and they also could be in play for a Rajon Rondo trade if that doesn't work out. The Knicks are going to try and sign back Anthony as a free agent no matter what happens in the offseason and while they feel they have the best chance since they can offer him the most money and years, the way the Knicks played may have a big factor in what Melo does. The Rockets and the Bulls are expected to make runs at Anthony and with the salary cap expected to rise, they could have a chance to compete with the Knicks while trying to sign him.
The Celtics almost took Asik last season, but they wanted Chandler Parsons in a deal and the Rockets would not put him in. Lin and Asik are in the last year of their deals so at least that could make teams more willing to take on expiring contracts, but to make that move the Rockets likely will have to put Parsons or a first round pick in with it because it's so much money. Rondo and Harrison Barnes as well as Chandler and Stoudemire are all players that could move this offseason during the summer.
No matter what the Rockets decide, they will have to move either Jeremy Lin or Omer Asik to get one of those players, as the two have massive contracts that are taking up cap space. With Dwight Howard and James Harden already in the fold, moving Asik and Lin will be a priority for Daryl Morey if he wants to get Rondo or Anthony. Asik signed a three-year, $25 million contract with the Rockets and he asked to be traded multiple times last season and he averaged a double-double of 10.1 points and 11.7 rebounds before losing his starting job last season and that could lead to a deal.
Lowry averaged close to 20 points this season and eight assists and he has shown that he is a very talented point guard with the Raptors and while he said that he hopes to stay in Toronto, the money could lead him elsewhere. The Rockets could make a move for Lowry while working on other trades and the 28 year old will definitely be a target for a number of teams. If the team ditches Lin and his money, Chalmers and Collison could be cheaper options and each have value, as Chalmers has played on two straight championship teams, while Collison has been an important contributor with the Clippers.
