Houston Rockets Had Prelimary Talks With Brooklyn Nets About Deron Williams For Omer Asik/Jeremy Lin

Dec 20, 2013; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Deron Williams (8) brings the ball up court during the second quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Omer Asik remains a Houston Rocket for the time being, after an eventful 2 week auction in which general manager Daryl Morey never found an appropriate suitor. One possible deal that didn’t involve the Atlanta Hawks, Philadelphia 76ers, or Boston Celtics, was with the Brookly Nets, where point guard Deron Williams was brought up.

According to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN New York, the Rockets had preliminary talks with the Nets on a trade involving Asik and Jeremy Lin that included Williams in return.

“According to a league source, the Rockets had preliminary talks with the Nets last week about Omer Asik and Jeremy Lin. Talks never gained any steam, but the source said the Rockets were doing their due diligence and Williams’ name came up. The Nets balked because one of the main reasons Pierce and Garnett agreed to a trade to Brooklyn was to play with Williams, according to the source. Williams, who signed a five-year, $98 million extension in 2012, was playing well upon returning from an ankle injury, and the Nets were looking better.”

Talks may never have gotten serious, as it seemed like Morey was testing the waters to see how open the Nets would be to trading Williams. Lin’s name has come up in the past week as possibly being included in a trade involving Asik, and while he remains a Rocket for the time being, it shows that Morey wouldn’t hesitate to acquire an all-star level point guard when the trade deadline looms in February.