The Houston Rockets are coming into the season with some very high expectations after signing Dwight Howard to a contract and as the season moves on, it will be interesting to see how the team goes along with Jeremy Lin, James Harden and Omer Asik and depending on how the roster plays, a trade could be in the future with a big Texas name: Dallas Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki.
The good people over at Bleacher Report threw out a few interesting trade situations that could arise later in the season and while Mark Cuban likely never would trade Dirk, could change if the Mavericks have a bad season again. Dirk could be a target for the Houston Rockets because of his scoring ability and size and the article says that one reason he could end up being dealt is the fact that he has played 15 years for the team and they may want to get younger and since Houston is going for championships, that could be a nice fit.
Dirk brought one title to Dallas and that is important and while he has said that he never wants to play anywhere else and Cuban has said that he doesn't want to trade him, if the season goes bad, it could happen. The Mavericks made their big push by signing Monta Ellis and now that OJ Mayo is gone the offense could run smoother, but Ellis has been known as a selfish player and he may not vibe so well with Dirk. Nowitzki is a perennial MVP candidate when the Mavs are good, but if they have another season like last year, that could be it.
The reason the Rockets fit is because Daryl Morey has shown that he is not afraid to make deals, like with James Harden and Thomas Robinson and also because the Rockets have Omer Asik, who reportedly asked for a trade when the team signed Dwight Howard. While Morey has said that he has no interest in trading the center that could change as the season goes on and especially if he doesn't mesh well with Howard. Asik put up a double-double last season while averaging 10.1 points and 11.7 rebounds and he said he doesn't want to be a backup after playing in 82 games.
Asik is in a tough position and so are the Rockets, as he has two years left on his deal, but the Mavericks may be willing to make the move, especially if it contains Asik. The Rockets likely would have to place Patrick Beverley in the deal and while the Mavs already signed Jose Calderon, he could be one player that fits in the deal. The Mavericks went just 41-41 last season and that won't cut it in the West and now the team will try and improve after signing Ellis as a free agent.
Last season the Mavericks ranked eighth in scoring with over 100 per game, but were awful on defense, ranking 27th in the league in points allowed and that could be one reason why they would take Asik in a deal. The team ranked 16th in rebounding and that would improve with Asik and while the deal is unlikely, it is something that could be a fit.