The Houston Rockets are in on Carmelo Anthony and a trade for Jeremy Lin could be on the way after the team pitched Melo and teams like the LA Clippers, Golden State Warriors, Philadelphia 76ers, Dallas Mavericks or Phoenix Suns could be in the mix for Lin if the Rockets opt to deal him to sign a major free agent.
The NBA trade rumor mill should start spinning again this summer after a dramatic deadline this year and names like Lin, Kevin Love, Rajon Rondo and Eric Gordon could be on the trading block for their teams in 2014 as the Houston Rockets, NY Knicks, Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, LA Lakers and New Orleans Pelicans look to make moves.
Love has been mentioned in trade talk since he signed that extension with the Timberwolves a couple years ago, while Asik was considered the player most likely to get traded during the deadline this year, but the Rockets never pulled the trigger. Tyson Chandler had a huge contract for the Knicks and he was shipped out of town with Phil Jackson taking over, while Jeremy Lin has come up with the Rockets as well as he enters the final year of his contract. That makes Lin a possible trade bait option, while Gordon has been part of trade rumors with the Pelicans as well.
Rondo has been mentioned in trade rumors even when he was off the court while coming back from his ACL injury, but Danny Ainge downplayed that during the year and now it could pick up against this summer. The Celtics are not close to contending, but Ainge may want to keep Rondo around for the long haul, as Brad Stevens has done a good job with a bad team and Rondo is considered to be the centerpiece for the franchise. The NY Knicks were rumored to be looking at ways to trade for Rondo, as they see that as a way to ensure that Carmelo Anthony remains with the Knicks this offseason.
Jackson makes the Knicks a team to watch and even if they don't end up pulling off a trade this summer, Jackson could look to make some major moves. The team is planning on trying to keep Anthony even if he opts out and along with that there aren't many big name free agents on the market apart from Anthony and James, but he could work on clearing out space before the next summer, which is when Love is supposed to hit the market. The Knicks and everyone else, especially the Lakers, are waiting for that moment and any team looking to sign Love will likely also try to trade for him ahead of that summer when he can opt out.
Asik was looking like the best player that was going to move at the deadline, as he reportedly was disgruntled with the Rockets since the summer when they signed Dwight Howard, but Daryl Morey was asking for too much and never found a deal he liked. Asik was one of the best centers in the game last season while averaging a double-double of 10 points and 11 rebounds in 82 games and he lost his starting job this season and now is in a reserve role and he reportedly asked for a trade multiple times from the team. He will have a guaranteed salary in 2014-15 at $15 million and he now is with the Pelicans.
