Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey said that he is not looking to deal Jeremy Lin or Omer Asik, because both remaining on Houston would provide great match up for All-Star Dwight Howard.
Morey told Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicles, “Both with Omer and Jeremy, we feel like they’re good fits for Dwight. Omer with Dwight would give us the best (centers) in the league in combination. Jeremy is an attacking guard, great in pick-and-roll, a great fit for Dwight. Dwight works great with shooting and attacking guards. Harden is great at both. That’s why he’s an All Star.”
By Tuesday night, the Rockets believed they had given a persuasive case to Howard.
“I feel like we did everything and answered every question and we’re the best option for him to win,” Morey told Houston Chronicles on Tuesday. “I like how he is going about the process. He is taking his time and weighing everything. We think when he does that, we’ll come out ahead.”
Moreover, Morey remained in Los Angeles after the Rockets’ dinner with Howard, speaking with other free agents, including a late Monday meeting with Hawks free-agent forward Josh Smith.
Other players that Rockets have expressed interests in are Nuggets forward Corey Brewer whether they can get Howard or not, Knicks guard J.R. Smith if they don’t get Howard and have cap room, and forward Carlos Delfino.
In conclusion, all other changes that Rockets have disclosed, excluding putting Lin and Asik on trade, depend on Howard’s decision.
