The Houston Rockets are coming into the offseason looking at a Rajon Rondo trade, Kyle Lowry deal or Kevin Love trade as their main goal and trades involving Jeremy Lin, Omer Asik or Chandler Parsons could be coming as the team also has targeted Carmelo Anthony as a free agent and that could be a target for Daryl Morey if those trade deals fail, as he is looking to make a big 3 in Texas for Dwight Howard and James Harden.
The Rockets are coming off of a playoff loss in the first round to the Portland Trail Blazers and now Morey is looking to make a big move in the offseason. According to ESPN.com writer Marc Stein, the team is targeting Love and Rondo as trade options as well as Anthony on the free agent market, as he is expected to opt out of his deal with the Knicks this summer. Morey loves Rondo and wants to pull off that deal and if he can't get Love or Anthony, he will make that his main focus. The Rockets have assets they can move, but Morey is going to have to get creative again. Lowry also could be an option if the Rondo deal doesn't work.
The Rockets have Lin and Asik to move and that likely will not be enough to get another max player and that means a major decision on Chandler Parsons. Morey has to decide whether or not to pick up his option for next season and if he does, that means he is an unrestricted free agent next year, but if he doesn't he becomes restricted and that poses other problems as well. Morey likely will have to decline the option just to get things going and that means he could be on his way out, as a team could give him a deal the Rockets can't match. Morey loves the value he has in Parsons, who has developed from a second round pick and that is one reason he doesn't want to lose him.
Morey almost had a deal with the Boston Celtics last season for Rondo involving Asik, but the Celts did not want to take all that money without getting someone like Parsons. The Rockets will have to move Lin and Asik as well as other players to get things going for one of these deals and if all else fails, they could try and convince Anthony to sign. The Knicks feel they have the best chance to sign Anthony since they can give him the most money and longest contract, but after missing the playoffs this year and taking a massive step back overall, he could be on his way out of town.
The Rockets went 54-28 last season and got upset by the Blazers in the playoffs and now Morey will be looking to keep things going this year as he builds around Howard and Harden together in year two of that duo. Getting Howard was step one and now the team needs to add another star while also getting better on defense. Rondo looked good after coming off of a serious injury and he played in 30 games for the Celtics after coming back and he looks recovered and ready for this season.
