Friday, July 1, 2016

Jeremy Lin and Nicolas Batum are off the table for the Rockets


A Conversation with NBA Player Jeremy Lin 26.Jun,2016

Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Nicolas Batum was always a long shot for Daryl Morey and the Rockets if they even ever really wanted him and his agreeing to a a five-year, $120 million contract with the Hornets just hours after free agency began sealed the deal.

But Jeremy Lin was thought to be a simple solution to the Rockets point guard depth problem. Both sides seemed open to a reunion, and Mike Conleys expected return to Memphis left Lin as arguably the best point guard on the board.

Except hes no longer on the board. Just 10 hours after free agency began, Lin and the Brooklyn Nets have come to terms. Linsanity is back in New York, not in Houston, and the Rockets options for adding depth behind, or in front of, Patrick Beverley have thinned.

$12 million a year for Jeremy Lin, who turned 28 in August, is an incredibly reasonable contract in this offseason where Batum is signing for $22.5 million a year and Timofey Mozgov, a 30-year-old career-long scrub, is signing four year deals for $16 million per.

Good for Lin, whose insane fans made his tenure in Houston insufferable for Rockets fans (on this site in particular) and gave us a bad taste in our mouth by association. It makes sense that he didnt want to wait out a period of everyone else getting paid, seeing who the Rockets, or other teams that could have vied for his services, would add.

But now the Rockets have very few options. Mike Conley remains available, but last word is the Rockets havent been able to secure a meeting with him. After that, the options are something like Brandon Jennings, Deron Williams, Rajon Rondo and flotsam. Pure flotsam.

At the wing, after Batum and (the obviously-not-coming-to-Houston Kevin Durant), the options are not quite as thin, but still thin. At least there, the Rockets appear to have a plan. They met with Kent Bazemore last night, one of the best options on the market seriously, you guys and hopefully Morey can close that deal and bring Baze to the Rockets meeting with Al Horford today.

Source: http://www.thedreamshake.com/2016/7/1/12078596/jeremy-lin-nicolas-batum-nba-free-agency-rumors

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