The Rockets, who have been looking at potential trade scenarios for disgruntled center Omer Asik, called the Nets and made an offer as part of their “due diligence.”
According to ESPN, the offer, made before the Nets lost Brook Lopez to a season-ending foot injury, would have included Asik and Jeremy Lin in a package for Deron Williams:
According to a league source, the Rockets had preliminary talks with the Nets last week about Omer Asik and Jeremy Lin. Talks never gained any steam, but the source said the Rockets were doing their due diligence and Williams’ name came up. The Nets balked because one of the main reasons Pierce and Garnett agreed to a trade to Brooklyn was to play with Williams, according to the source. Williams, who signed a five-year, $98 million extension in 2012, was playing well upon returning from an ankle injury, and the Nets were looking better.
Should the Nets revisit talks with the Rockets or another contending team and consider trading a key piece like Williams, Garnett or Pierce now that Lopez is out for the season? It might be worth contemplating because this $190 million roster that was supposed to be a Rolls-Royce now is an expensive luxury car with a transmission problem.
This trade would have given the Rockets a three-headed monster of Williams, Howard, and James Harden, potentially catapulting the 18-10 Rockets into championship contention. Conversely, it would have brought Jeremy Lin back to New York City, where he began his incredible Linsanity run — but instead of re-joining the team he made the run with, he’d join their biggest rivals, and the team that his Linsanity run started against in the first place.
With Garnett and Pierce joining Brooklyn to play with Williams, and Williams rounding into form after a few freak ankle injuries, this trade doesn’t make any sense. But Nets GM Billy King may find one that does soon enough.
