NBA Trade Rumors: Houston Rockets Exploring Trade With Brooklyn Nets For Deron Williams Before Trade Deadline
At 26-11 in the NBA standings, the Houston Rockets are flying high.
The Rockets are in first place in the Southwest Division ahead of the San Antonio Spurs, New Orleans Pelicans, Dallas Mavericks and Memphis Grizzlies. Presently, the Rockets are in third place overall in the Western Conference behind only the Golden State Warriors and Portland Trail Blazers.
Still, improvements can be made.
According to multiple reports, the Rockets have shown interest in acquiring a point guard before the NBA trade deadline. General manager Daryl Morey previously made an attempt to obtain former Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo; however, the Dallas Mavericks beat him to the punch.
As good as the Rockets are, they do have some flaws that can be easily fixed. A point guard may be the first and best solution for the team. Why is that? The Rockets rank 23rd in assist per game as a team in the NBA. Only the Utah Jazz, Sacramento Kings and Oklahoma City Thunder average a lower amount of assists per game in the West than the Rockets do.
There's no doubt Harden is a talented player, possibly this year's MVP, but he isn't the best distributor of the basketball. With that being said, Harden leads the Rockets in totals assists with 245, and Patrick Beverley has the second-most with just 85. Harden is the leading scorer (26.8) in the NBA this season, and he is being asked to do way too much offensively.
The Rockets are no strangers to making big moves in recent years. The Rockets have acquired notable players such as Jeremy Lin, Dwight Howard and Harden since 2012.
Williams is signed under contract with the Brooklyn Nets until the 2016-17 season. This season Williams will make $19.7 million, next season he will make $21 million, and the following year he is scheduled to make up to $22.3 million. There's no doubt Williams comes at a high price, but he could be worth it. Williams averages 8.6 assists per game in his career, and he is still just 30 years old.
Williams played five and a half seasons with the Jazz, so he's used to playing in the loaded Western Conference. Adding Williams to the Rockets would certainly provide a more balanced offensive attack. With Williams dribbling the ball up the floor, Harden wouldn't be asked to do nearly as much, and both Trevor Ariza and Jason Terry can be open at the perimeter to knock down three point shots.
If the Rockets are going to make a move for Williams, they may want to make it quick. The Kings have shown interest in obtaining Williams this season.
The Rockets have options in free agency after the season if they are unable to land a player via trade. Reggie Jackson of the Thunder could be a wise addition after season's end. Jackson is good player who used to play with Harden in Oklahoma City.
The Rockets have also shown interest in trading for Phoenix Suns guard Goran Dragic. Dragic previously played with the Rockets for two seasons, and he has just two years remaining on his contract. Dragic isn't as valuable as Williams, but he would certainly come at a lower price.
The NBA Trade deadline is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 19, at 3 p.m. EST
Follow Damon Salvadore on Twitter
FOR MORE SPORTS NEWS AND UPDATES, CLICK ON THIS LINK TO VISIT LATIN POST.COM'S SPORTS PAGE