The Jeremy Lin trade rumors are starting to heat up for the Houston Rockets as they try and sign Carmelo Anthony and teams like the Philadelphia 76ers and Milwaukee Bucks could be destinations for the point guard, as they have the salary cap space to handle his contract and a trade could hinge on what Melo and LeBron James do, as the Rockets are also interested in signing Chris Bosh as a free agent.
According to ESPN.com, Marc Stein writes that the Rockets have options in the Sixers and the Bucks for a deal with Jeremy Lin to clear cap space, as both teams are rebuilding and have room to add an expiring contract. Lin and Omer Asik were the two big contracts that the Rockets knew they had to move at some point for a chance to sign Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James or Chris Bosh and they have already opted to move Asik, trading him earlier to the New Orleans Pelicans. It has been reported for over a week that the Rockets had deals in place for Lin if Anthony or another player was ready to sign, but no specific teams were mentioned in those initial reports.
The Sixers and Bucks could be teams that have a deal ready to go for the Rockets and the dominos could start to fall once Anthony or James signs with a team. The Rockets, Chicago Bulls, LA Lakers and Dallas Mavericks all have their future plans up in the air surrounding those names and once those players start to sign, names like Chris Bosh and Luol Deng may join new teams as well. The deal makes sense for the Sixers and Bucks, as they could try and get Lin and perhaps something extra in exchange for giving the Rockets cap space and then the team will get that salary back next year when the contract is off the books.
The Bucks and Sixers both are building for the future, with Milwaukee drafting Jabari Parker and bringing over Jason Kidd from the Brooklyn Nets. Many see Parker as a future LeBron James-type player and with Kidd coming in Milwaukee sees itself as a long term destination for players looking to build up a franchise. The same goes for the Sixers, who took Joel Embiid with the number three overall pick in the draft and also have a number of young players like Michael Carter-Williams and Nerlens Noel to build with. Embiid has been trying to recruit LeBron to the Sixers on social media and while it's mostly in a joking manner, he has been touting the young talent of the 76ers.
ESPN and Pro Basketball Talk are reporting that the Rockets have a deal ready for when they offer Anthony or Bosh a major free agent deal and a trade would enable the team to also possibly sign back Chandler Parsons. The Rockets lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Portland Trail Blazers and Rockets GM Daryl Morey is looking to add a major player to join Dwight Howard and James Harden. Anthony has suitors in the Knicks, Lakers, Bulls and Rockets and right now New York and Los Angeles appear to be the favorites.
