NBA Trade Rumors: Houston Rockets Won’t Move Omer Asik?
By Chris Roling
With Dwight Howard choosing to take his talents to the Houston Rockets many thought incumbent center Omer Asik would be on his way out. Asik has been the fuel of many NBA trade rumors ever since D12 landed in Houston to play with James Harden.
Apparently the Rockets have other plans for Asik.
Said plans so far indicate he will not be traded. Brian Windhorst of ESPN says the Rockets are not willing to move Asik, even with Howard on board:
"On Sunday at the Orlando Pro Summer League, Rockets’ coach Kevin McHale said the team will try to mend fences with Asik.“With Omer, he had a great year for us last year and really became one of the top centers in the league,” McHale said. “It’s just when you have an opportunity to get Dwight, it’s hard not to. I’m sure Omer right now is a little down in the dumps, but we’ll pick him up.”McHale said he can see lineups when Asik and Howard would play together in addition to Asik, who along with Howard would create perhaps the best defensive and rebounding rotation in the league, backing Howard up. McHale called to mind the 1980s when the Rockets used lineups with Hakeem Olajuwon and Ralph Sampson."
So there you have it. Asik clearly wants out of town thanks to Howard, but it appears the Rockets are not interested in moving him. In fact, it sounds like the staff wants to have both Asik and Howard on the court at the same time.
In other words, it’s going to take an amazing offer to pull Asik from the Rockets. Allegedly.
Follow me on Twitter for more NFL, NBA and MLB news and analysis @Chris_Roling