Pelicans have made Omer Asik available for trade
By Tom West
The New Orleans Pelicans are having a terrible season, and they’re looking to make a move after putting Omer Asik on the trade block.
With Anthony Davis around, there’s never going to be much chance for another big man to stand out for the New Orleans Pelicans. Ryan Anderson is having a good year with 18 points per game and 37.1 percent three point shooting, but the same cannot be said about Omer Asik. He’s missed multiple games this season and over his last four games, he’s fallen to 10.1 minutes a night while making minimal impact.
The Pelicans making someone available for trade isn’t surprising, and Asik being that player makes sense considering his $11 million salary, which has been reported by Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops:
"As for Asik, league sources say the Pelicans have made him available after signing him to a five-year, $52 million deal this past summer."
Centers often earn big contracts in the NBA as someone who can anchor the paint, rebound, and protect the rim off the bench. That kind of player is a valuable one team to have. That’s what Asik has been at times, as a lumbering 7 foot big man who can enforce some physicality and interior presence in 20 minutes a night. When looking at his season with the Pelicans right now, though, that hasn’t been the case.
He may be a big body to stand in the paint, but he’s averaging career-lows in rebounds (10.3) and blocks (0.8) per 36 minutes, with a dismal player efficiency rating of 6.1 (a drop of 9.4 from last season). On top of that, New Orleans’ offensive rating drops by 9.3 whenever he’s on the floor.
It’s no secret that the Pelicans have been one of the biggest disappointments in the NBA this season with a 6-18 record, and regardless of Alvin Gentry stepping in as their new head coach, their performance has still been poor even for this adjustment phase. Ranking 17th in offensive efficiency is bad enough, and it only gets more disheartening for fans when looking at their 29th standing in defensive efficiency.
Who the Pelicans will hope to get in return for Asik is yet to be seen, although he should at least garner the interest of a team who are in desperate need of a defensive backup center.