The Rockets were in a tough situation when they signed Dwight Howard and starting center Omer Asik said he wanted a trade rather than be a backup, but general manager Daryl Morey tossed aside that option and now says that the team will experiment with the two on court at the same time.
According to Pro Basketball Talk, Morey said that the team will experiment with Dwight Howard playing power forward at times with Asik playing center. The team will work things around in the preseason to see how it works and how the team operates with them on the floor. Asik asked for a trade earlier in the offseason, but clearly the Rockets have other plans.
Following the signing of Howard and Asik asking for a trade, both GM Daryl Morey and coach Kevin McHale said that they hoped to work things out with the center and while that may still be the case, the team may look at the situation as an opportunity to move a disgruntled player and get back some value in return.
Earlier in the offseason both Asik and Jeremy Lin were on the trading block and as things move towards training camp, something could go down, much like how the Thunder traded James Harden to the Rockets right before the season started. Asik was one of the most consistent players in the NBA last season while playing in 82 games and after averaging 10.1 points and 11.7 rebounds, he wants to continue starting in the league. Anderson could be a solid addition to the Rockets, as he averaged a very respectable 16.2 points and 6.4 rebounds per game last year.
Asik averaged over a block a game and the Rockets defense likely will improve this season with Howard and although the team doesn't want to deal Asik, it might end up better than keeping a player who does not want to be there. The center still has $20 million owed to him over two years so that could toss a wrench into things, but depending on how his mindset is coming into the season, the team could make a move
Rockets GM Daryl Morey, on Reddit:
Q: Daryl, how does Omer feel now about sharing the center position with Dwight? What sorts of conversations have McHale and you had in regards to potential concerns from both Omer and Dwight?
A: Omer would prefer to be a starter and is certainly a starter+ quality player. That said, he is a winner first & likes being on a winning team.
Q: Also, what are the chances we see Asik getting minutes as a power forward?
A: Coach McHale plans to experiment with Dwight at PF and Omer as C in training camp. If it works and helps us win, obviously we would look at using it.
