Houston Rockets had a busy off season for sure, but the gains are not there to see – NBA Feature Part
3
After parting ways with both theirs point guards, the Houston Rockets signed former New York Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin to a three year contract worth close to $25 million.
The Rockets had already forwarded their offer to Lin before they parted ways with Goran Dragic and Kyle Lowry.
The Knicks, with whom Lin played last season, were expected to match the offer and retain the restricted free agent. However, the back loaded contract offer by the Rockets would have put the Knicks in serious luxury tax issues
in future, with players like Amare Stoudemire, Tyson Chandler and Carmelo Anthony already taking huge salaries. Hence, the Knicks made purely a business decision and opted not to match the offer.
Lin became a worldwide sensation in February this year when he started the game at point guard for the Knicks after injuries depleted their roster. The undrafted guard out of Harvard scored 20 plus points in 9 of 10 games in a
row and led the Knicks to a 7-0 run, which solidified their chances of qualifying for the playoffs.
However, Lin’s run was for a short while since he injured his knee and was sidelined for the season in April. Lin is yet to prove himself as a solid point guard for a full season and at the most, he is a huge change being taken
by the Rockets franchise. Moreover, parting ways with two established point guard after investing so much time and energy with them was beyond the comprehension of many in the league.
The Houston Rockets continued their offseason moves by trading Courtney Lee to the Boston Celtics in exchange for three unknown players and a 2013 second round draft pick. They further traded Marcus Camby to the New York Knicks
for another three players and two second round draft picks for 2013.
From being a legitimate team that boasted depth and talent in their roster, the Rockets suddenly became a team rebuilding itself with a bunch of draft picks and role players for the next couple of years.
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