The Houston Rockets have started off the season schedule about where they wanted after signing Dwight Howard to a free agent deal and as the season wears on, chances are teams will start looking seriously into trying to trade for center Omer Asik and some possible deal options include a trade for Rajon Rondo with the Celtics as well as trades to the Oklahoma City Thunder, New Orleans Pelicans and Atlanta Hawks.
Asik has been one of the best centers in the NBA over the past year, but with Howard in the fold he has been a bit marginalized after starting all 82 games last season and that is one reason why the Rockets could possibly deal him. When Howard first signed with the Rockets, it was reported that Asik had asked the team for a formal trade, but both head coach Kevin McHale and general manager Daryl Morey dismissed that talk, saying they felt that Howard and Asik could co-exist on the team and that they could also play on the floor together at the same time.
Morey and McHale used some sets in the preseason with both on the floor and they have been doing it during the season, but the Houston Chronicle reports that the team could be ditching that, as spacing issues and other problems have come up that makes the team not as efficient when both are on the floor. Howard has been excellent so far while averaging 15 rebounds per game and he has gone over 20 boards two times already this season, while Asik has not been as productive as last season when he averaged a double-double while starting in all 82 games.
Asik has been getting the starts at center with Howard at power forward and that was how the team tried it out in the preseason, but so far the results have not been great. Howard is cleaning up the boards, but having both on the floor has not given the team as much of a rebounding advantage as they hoped. Morey uses numbers better than anyone else in the league and McHale seems to already be getting tired of the so called "twin towers" lineup, which of course is terrible name anyway, and there are signs that the team will drop it.
Asik played 19 minutes in the overtime game against the Raptors and that is pretty bad, as he had just four points, two rebounds and one block and that could be one reason why a trade makes sense. The team could use a legitimate championship point guard and while Jeremy Limn has played well, he is not even close to Rondo and while Rondo is injured right now, her will be back eventually and the Celtics, while terrible, need some size in the middle and they could pull off a deal. The team used Terrence Jones for 32 minutes in that game and with Asik averaging under the 10.1 points, 11.7 rebounds and 1.1 blocks he did last season, it could be time for a move.
The Oklahoma City Thunder could be a perfect fit, as could the Celtics, Atlanta Hawks or Chicago Bulls, where Asik played before moving to Houston. Asik is a good player, but the situation may not be right anymore and he is on a franchise that has shown they are not scared to make deals, which they did before last season with James Harden and now they could pull off another one with Asik before the deadline and the heat will likely come up once it gets closer.
