Jeremy Lin Trade Rumors: Did Dwight Howard Convince the Rockets to Keep Linsanity?
Despite rumors earlier this summer that the Houston Rockets were interested in trading Jeremy Lin, it doesn't appear that the 6-foot-3 inch Harvard graduate will be going anywhere anytime soon.
Immediately after the Rockets made headlines last month by acquiring Dwight Howard, questions were raised about whether the team would be keeping "Linsanity" or not. Hoopsworld's Senior NBA writer, Bill Ingram, tweeted Jul. 7 that "a source with direct knowledge of the situation confirms Rockets working hard to move Jeremy Lin ... very limited interest for teams."
But the trade rumors seemed to come to a screeching halt when Howard gave Lin a vote of confidence and expressed his desire to play with him this season.
"Omer (Asik) and Jeremy Lin will be very good playing with me," Howard told the Houston Chronicle last month. "I'm going to do whatever I can to make those guys' lives better. I realize how much they mean to this team."
Lin hopes to improve after a somewhat slow start to his time in Houston. After becoming a national sensation during his time in New York, Lin surprisingly signed a 3-year, $25 million dollar contract with the Rockets when it was assumed that he would stay with the Knicks. As he enters his second year with the Rockets, he will look to settle in with his new teammate in Howard.
Ultimately, time is the only thing that will tell how well the Rockets will do with the addition of Howard. The controversial star had his share of issues in Los Angeles, which included problems with learning the Lakers' system and reports from ESPN that he did not want to return to the Lakers if Kobe Bryant were to remain with the team.
Judging from Howard's excitement about playing with Lin and the rest of the Houston Rockets, however, it appears the team is ready to compete at a high level this season.