I got back into the Rockets after that trade went down, so I need to know: Could the team have signed Dragic if it hadn't signed Lin? As I understand it, Les unilaterally made the decision on getting Lin back at any cost.
I don't think it had anything to do with a player option. I think they let him go because Alexander wanted to corner the China market and wanted to bring Lin in instead. It was all about $$$$. It was never a good basketball move.
I still have a poor understanding of how owners make money from viewership ratings when compared to what goes towards the league as a whole.
The Rockets made money through Chinese sponsorships and were broadcasted in China. Every advertisement in Toyota Center had Chinese on it for years. Nba teams earn money based on market share and brand incomes also. With the China market the Rockets had more viewership with China tuning in and also more Jersey and merchandise sales.