Asik wants trade, Rockets say no

[lightspeed5]

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/9456945/omer-asik-wants-trade-wake-dwight-howard-add-houston-rockets-say-no

asik doesnt want to play with dwight.

[hpantazo]

Can't blame him. He's coming off his first season as a starter and the best season in his career, he doesn't want to be a backup again. On the other hand, the Rockets could sure use a reliable backup for Dwight.

[kozlodoev]

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/9456945/omer-asik-wants-trade-wake-dwight-howard-add-houston-rockets-say-no

asik doesnt want to play with dwight.

You can't pair him with Dwight, and he doesn't want to be a backup. Can you blame him, given he lost his spot through no fault of his own?

[hpantazo]

I think more than anything, this is posturing by the rockets to get fair value for him. The vultures have been circling even before the Dwight trade went down.

[Who]

Houston needs to make sure they have a very strong third string center who can step up and be a 10-12mpg backup in the playoffs for Dwight Howard ... so that they are able to trade Asik mid-season for an upgrade at a different position without killing their big man depth.

[Sketch5]

Trade them Bass and Melo.

This way Melo ends up being a top 5 center because we traded him and then shuts up all the Melo haters, but fuels all the DA haters!

[TripleOT]

Houston needs to make sure they have a very strong third string center who can step up and be a 10-12mpg backup in the playoffs for Dwight Howard ... so that they are able to trade Asik mid-season for an upgrade at a different position without killing their big man depth.

Greg Smith is a solid backup, with a cheap salary.  Houston has to move either Asik or Lin before next season, when their poison pill salaries of $14.9m kicks in. Houston will have over $65m in four players the 2015 season if one of them isn't moved.

They should start the season with both, especially with Howard's back situation, and see if they can play together for six minutes each half. If they can, Houston will have the two best rebounders in the league playing 30 minute per game each for them.  Howard used to play effectively with Gortat in Orlando. 

McHale should be able to figure out how to get something out of both guys.  After all, he played on a team with three Hall of Fame centers sharing minutes, the 1986 Celtics (although two of them could shoot the jumper, which neither Howard or Asik can do). If it doesn't work, they should be able to get good value for Asik at the deadline.

However, if the Rockets want a floor spacing PF and a SG, the Cs could send Bass and Lee their way for Asik.  Or the Cs could take both Asik and Lin and send Humphries expiring deal to the Rockets, which would solve their salary problems in 2015.  maybe Ainge could get a third team involved to offload Lin for a couple of vets on expiring deals.