Jeremy Lin Should Remain With Houston Rockets

The writing may be on the wall for Jeremy Lin with the Houston Rockets, but trading him would be a bad move.

The first sign that there could be trouble for Lin was when the team drafted point guard Isaiah Canaan with the 34th overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft.

Then, per Marc Spears of Yahoo! Sports, the Rockets signed Francisco Garcia, a versatile guard who is capable of handling the point:

Now, Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld reports that the Rockets are actively trying to move Lin but struggling to find a trading partner:

Still, trading Lin doesn't make sense. For one, Lin's value has plummeted since the end of "Linsanity." It doesn't seem like too many teams are interested.

For another, the Rockets don't need Lin to serve as a traditional point guard. James Harden handles the bulk of the ball-handling duties, meaning that the Rockets just need someone stable at the point who doesn't make too many mistakes.

Lin is not flashy and has come down to earth after his magical "Linsanity" run. He averaged 13.4 points and 6.1 assists along with 1.6 steals last season. Overall, he gets the job done.

Daryl Morey, Houston's GM, has said that Lin is a good fit for newly-signed Dwight Howard, telling Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle, "Jeremy is an attacking guard, great in pick-and-roll, a great fit for Dwight. Dwight works great with shooting and attacking guards."

Lin is an excellent driver, as is James Harden. Now with Howard in the middle, the lane should be clearer for drives and drive-and-kicks. The pick-and-roll game should instantly become one of the best in the league.

Howard will take a lot of the burden off of Harden, which should help him remain fresh for the stretch run. On the same token, the Rockets will also be able to penetrate with Lin a bit more than Harden. Harden takes a beating with his drives to the paint, and shifting that burden to Lin—who is capable of driving effectively—will also keep Harden fresher for the postseason.

Finally, there is no guarantee that Isaiah Canaan can come and play effectively right away, especially because he's making the jump from Murray State, not Michigan State. Francisco Garcia is a good shooter, as he hit 39 percent of his shots from distance, but that's about his only skill. 

In other words, the Rockets are going to have a hard time finding a point guard better than Lin.

Lin is a known quantity. He's not going to take over games, but he's not going to embarrass the team either. 

With Howard and Harden, the Rockets instantly become one of the top contenders in the Western Conference. A steady point guard like Lin is the safe and right choice to ensure that the Rockets live up to their promise.