NBA Free Agency 2013: Could Jeremy Lin's Days With Houston Rockets Be Numbered With Their Pursuit of Chris Paul?

Last summer, the Houston Rockets' aggressive offseason landed them one of the game's hottest commodities in Asian sensation Jeremy Lin.

This summer, Lin's tenure in Houston could be in question thanks to the latest reports that the Rockets are pursuing one of the game's premium free agents--Chris Paul.

According to the Houston Chronicle, sources are reporting that the Rockets are planning to pursue Paul, the MVP of the 2013 NBA All-Star Game, this summer when the NBA free agency period kicks off July 1.

The Rockets have made no secret of their intentions to zero in on Dwight Howard, the All-Star center and defensive powerhouse for the Los Angeles Lakers, as their No.1 target during the coming offseason. However, the Chronicle notes, the team has made "detailed preparations to chase both" Howard and Paul.

For Rockets fans, this is monumental news. After an extraordinary 2012-13 season that saw Houston return to the playoffs for the first time in three years and give last year's NBA Finalist Oklahoma City a serious run for their money in the first round, the sky's the limit if they can land either Howard, a game-changing superstar at center, or Paul, arguably the best overall point guard in the NBA who single-handedly turned the Clippers from laughingstock into legitimate contenders in the West. Pairing one--or perhaps both--of these extraordinary superstars alongside sensational All-Star guard James Harden and a solid Rockets core that includes Chandler Parsons, Omer Asik, Carlos Delfino and Patrick Beverley would turn the Rockets into overnight NBA title contenders.

Yet, in the event of the Rockets actually acquiring Paul, that leaves one major question mark on the franchise's future--where does that leave Lin?

During the 2012-13 season, Lin had an up-and-down year in his first season in Houston that started out rough, but ended with promise. The explosive and wildly-popular Asian-American point guard had a rough time at the onset of the season, averaging only 10.2 points on 37.3 percent shooting, including a paltry 26.3 percentage from three-point range.

Yet, Lin started to show flashes of promise in December, particularly with two signature games against would-be NBA Finalist San Antonio and his old team, eventual Atlantic Division champs the New York Knicks. And during a critical stretch in March and April, Lin stepped up when teammates Harden and Parsons went down due to injuries, resulting in Lin enjoying an April where he had his statistically finest month of the season--17.3 points per game, 6.9 assists and 44.0 percent shooting. His play helped the Rockets win five of their last nine games as they clinched a playoff seed for the first time since the 2008-09 season.

Unfortunately, his hot run in April could not be sustained in the playoffs, poor shooting in Game 1 and a Game 2 chest contusion thanks to OKC's Thabo Sefolosha resulting in a forgettable NBA playoffs debut for Lin, who played only 21.0 minutes for 4.0 points on 25.0 percent shooting in four games against Oklahoma City.

Lin showed growth, leadership skills and potential for more in his first season as the floor general for a young, athletic and up-and-coming Rockets squad. However, if the reports regarding Paul are true, what was a bright, promising future for Lin in Houston suddenly becomes overcast with doubt.

Assuming the Rockets do acquire Paul, Houston is faced with two possible options regarding Lin. The first and most likely one would involve a trade. While Lin has the potential to develop into a star, the idea of pairing Harden and Paul together for what would hands-down be the best backcourt in the NBA might be too tempting to pass up.

And while Lin, who has roughly $16.7 million left on his three-year contract following this season, appears to be a consummate team player, it is hard to imagine the Rockets would let him stay on with a big chunk of change they owe him--especially when the blossoming Patrick Beverley, who looked impressive during the playoffs, could take his place for cheaper while the Rockets could get back some players of value in exchange for Lin, whose presence on any team would bring a growing and profitable fan base from Asian fans.

The other option could involve the Rockets opting to keep Lin on board and create one of the deepest backcourts in the NBA. With Harden, Paul, Lin, Beverley and sharpshooting swingman Carlos Delfino at the helm, the Rockets would have a plethora of young and potent offensive weapons to choose from in their backcourt as they challenge Tony Parker and the Spurs, Russell Westbrook and their rival Oklahoma City, and Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash and the veteran L.A. Lakers for Western Conference supremacy next season.

All things considered, it's an exciting time to be a Houston Rockets fan. But for fans of Jeremy Lin, the coming free agency bonanza that starts July 1 could bring more questions than answers for the likeable, talented guard with the explosive drive and legions of devoted followers.