Feb 25, 2017; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets guard Lou Williams (12) passes agains the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second half at Toyota Center. Houston Rockets won 142 to 130. Mandatory Credit: Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports

It may have been Utah Jazz GM Dennis Lindsey — not the Houston Rockets — who killed his team’s pursuit of Lou Williams at the trade deadline.

When the Utah Jazz failed to make a move before the NBA Trade Deadline, a segment of the fanbase was predictably underwhelmed by the inactivity. Although Jazz GM Dennis Lindsey pulled the trigger on trades before the previous two trade deadlines, the team has something of a reputation in this regard.

They’ve been accused of being unwilling to make moves to help the team win, preferring instead to rest on their laurels, come what may. Whether it’s fair or not, the same accusation was floating around this year.

What fans have to consider here is that sometimes there just isn’t a deal to be made. After all, it takes two to tango. And perhaps Jazz brass just couldn’t find a partner this time around.

Then again, Lindsey and Co. may have walked right off of the dance floor. According to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, that may just have been the case.

Before the deadline, the trade rumor with the most meat for the Jazz was undoubtedly the notion that Lou Williams could be had from the Los Angeles Lakers. Before the high-scoring guard ended up with the Houston Rockets, reports of Utah’s interest in a trade were everywhere. Alas, the Rockets deal stopped that in its tracks.

Or perhaps it was Lindsey who squashed the potential trade.

In her story about the Lakers at the trade deadline and the Buss Family drama, Shelburne chronicled LA’s dealings with teams concerning Williams, saying that a first-round pick was offered up by the Jazz —

Several teams had already inquired about high-scoring guard Lou Williams and offered draft picks. At least one of those offers (from the Houston Rockets and Utah Jazz) included a first-round pick. Why, Jeanie Buss asked, were the Lakers waiting?

Ultimately, it seems the Jazz pulled that offer from the table while the Lakers’ wheels struggled to turn. Here’s Shelburne on Magic Johnson’s first day as LA’s chief decision-maker and the Jazz offer —

His first day on the job was spent fielding trade calls. Utah’s offer of a first-round pick for Williams was off the table by then, so Magic told teams he was looking for a first-round pick and a player whose salary and time left on his contract matched up with Williams’. Johnson told any team that didn’t offer a first not to call back until it was ready to do so.

Obviously, none of us were privy to communication between the Jazz and Lakers. However, Shelburne’s story seems to indicate that Lindsey and the Jazz may have walked away from a potential deal for Williams.

For the record, Williams is averaging 18.3 points per game as a bench player this season. The Rockets are scoring a league-best 117.9 points per 100 possessions since acquiring him, an improvement of 5.8 over their season average.

Whether or not he would’ve had the same impact on the Jazz is anyone’s guess. Moreover, Lindsey clearly values the roster he has and wants to give it a fair chance to gel and succeed. Hence his decision not to make a trade.

That said, the question of whether that roster is good enough to find postseason success this year remains. If the answer turns out to be no, the Jazz GM may have to reevaluate his plan of attack.