The Houston Rockets are willing to grant Omer Asik’s trade request, but they’re going to make sure that they get something substantial in return, Yahoo! Sports reported.
Rockets general manager Daryl Morey is asking for an “impact player” in talks about the disgruntled big man, but he would settle for a lottery pick, according to Yahoo!’s sources.
The report contradicts an ESPN.com report that said the Rockets were unwilling to grant Asik’s trade request.
Asik has wanted out since Houston signed Dwight Howard last July. The team shopped him around the league once the Howard deal went through. It was rumored that the New Orleans Pelicans and Philadelphia 76ers were interested, as were the Portland Trail Blazers, who eventually got center Robin Lopez.
After the Rockets could not find a suitable deal, Asik made it clear that he did not want to be a bench player. Houston then came up with a creative solution — play both Asik and Howard together, with Asik at center and Howard at power forward. That experiment proved to be a disaster, and now Asik is coming off the bench.
He is in the second year of a three-year, $25 million contract.