The moment the Houston Rockets signed Dwight Howard, it became obvious that Omer Asik isn’t going to spend much more time on the court or with the team. It looks like the team is becoming a bit more active in their attempt to trade him, but according to some sources around the league, their asking price for the player, two first round draft picks, is too high right now for anyone to even consider.
A solid defender and a reliable double double guy if he gets the right kind of minutes, Asik has been recently benched by the Rockets, playing a lot better when they’re not using their twin tower lineup. Asik is averaging 18.4 minutes a night this season, scoring 4.6 points and 6.9 rebounds per game, making $8.3 million as a substitute center that can start for most teams around the league without a problem.
The Rockets probably had a better chance of actually getting players during the offseason. Right now? Teams aren’t willing to trade away their immediate future for Asik, who has another year beyond this one left on his deal, especially with the salary cap making young players on rookie deals that much more valuable than before.
Who might actually be interested in Asik? There’s a chance the New York Knicks, still without Tyson Chandler and slipping quickly down to the bottom of the Eastern conference, are willing to have a look. The problem? The team has already mortgaged its future away, not having a first round pick to give until the year 2018, which means there’s no way the Rockets deal with them.
Obviously, teams begin with a high price and then start lowering it until they meet some sort of middle ground, but with this kind of demand from the Rockets, it won’t be too much of a surprise to find out that no one is even calling in regards of signing Asik unless they make it public that they’re willing to accept a lot less for the center.