The Houston Rockets made the biggest splash in free agency this offseason after signing Dwight Howard, but not everyone in town was happy about it, as center Omer Asik requested a trade soon after and with reports of Jeremy Lin being put on the trading block earlier in the offseason, both players could end up on the move.
Asik formally asked for a trade after the move of signing Howard, as sources said that the center did not want to back him up or lose playing time after establishing himself as a starter. Coach Kevin McHale said that the team would try to make Asik happy and that a deal wasn't coming soon, but that could change if a team makes a solid trade option. The trade of Lin is less likely due to his contract, but earlier in the offseason it was rumored that the team put him on the trading block and that could still come later down the line.
General manager Daryl Morey is known as an outside the box guy and after putting together a core that includes James Harden, Chandler Parsons and now Howard, the team could try to move Asik and Lin to get some salary cap space as well as other talent on the roster. Harden has proven that he is on his way to becoming a top five player and the team may decide to deal Asik to help keep any negative energy away from Howard, who showed in LA that he doesn't respond well to the criticism.
Asik made his request soon after the Howard deal was agreed to and after playing in all 82 games and establishing himself as one of the most consistent starters in the game, Asik wants to continue playing those minutes. He still has two years and nearly $20 million on his contract, so the rockets really do not need to do anything, but having someone who is disgruntled won't help win a championship, although they like his averaging a double-double of 10 points and11 rebounds while hitting over 54 percent of his shots last season.
Asik has turned into a reliable center and forward and while the team isn't look at a trade right now, as deal could come along including both Asik and Lin that they want to take part in. McHale compared Asik and Howard to greats Hakeem Olajuwon and Ralph Sampson, but Asik clearly doesn't see it that way and as the offseason goes, the talk of a trade may heat up again.
Last season the Rockets made it into the playoffs as the eighth seed and with 45 wins they scored like a 50-win team and after adding Howard, they should improve their record again. The team has a number of young players and there is no reason to think they can't challenge the Clippers, Thunder and Spurs as well as the Grizzlies as the top team in the West after going 45-37 last year.
The team averaged over 105 points per game and while there defense was suspect and gave up over 102 per game, adding Howard will only help with rebounding and shot blocking. Last season Lin averaged 13.4 points and 6.1 assists after signing a three-year deal and while the team likes him, if another deal came along they may listen. Previous rumors had the players fitting with the Detroit Pistons, Trail Blazers and Raptors, while other names like the Lakers and Knicks have also come up.
