The NBA season is still in its early goings, but that doesn't mean it's too early in the year to start talking trades and now that Houston Rockets center Omer Asik has requested one, some trade packages that could be explored by the team includes with the New Orleans Pelicans or the Philadelphia Sixers for players like Ryan Anderson and Thaddeus Young.
The Rockets have some decisions to make and while according to ESPN.com they have decide to reject the trade request from Omer Asik, that doesn't mean a deal won't happen, as Daryl Morey has shown he knows how to pull off some nice packages, which he did with James Harden in a surprise move before last season. Asik reportedly asked for a trade back over the summer when Dwight Howard was first signed, but coach Kevin McHale and Morey said that the team would use both on the floor and after starting off that way, the team has decided to move away from that, taking Asik out of the starting lineup.
This season Asik is averaging five points and seven rebounds after putting up career best numbers with double-double averages last season and starting all 82 games and now he is stuck without a true spot in the rotation. Asik played in only four minutes against the Sixers off the bench and then he was taken out of the starting lineup against the Knicks and while the team has denied his request, there is a good chance that someone will make a nice offer to the team, especially when the deadline gets closer. Asik is too much of an asset to hold onto without playing him significantly and having him on the roster could mess with Howard as well.
Asik has two years left on his deal and it is worth nearly $20 million and the move from the starting lineup must be tough for Asik, as he has started every game through last season since signing with the Rockets, 90 of them total and he also had one of the longest streaks in the NBA for active players with 239 games in a row, but he did not play against the Knicks and now the back and forth is already starting, as McHale said Asik wasn't feeling well. Last season Asik averaged 10.1 points and 11.7 rebounds per game and he would like to be in a situation where he can start on a consistent basis.
Ryan Anderson for Asik was mentioned over the summer and he could be a very nice addition for the Rockets and it could fit for both teams, as Anderson averaged respectable 16.2 points and 6.4 rebounds per game last year and he could fit in nicely with Chandler Parsons and Jeremy Limn in the offense and he is a 40 percent shooter from three from last season and he has played well with Howard before in Orlando when he had career best numbers. While playing with Howard back then, the team won over 50 games and he looked good in the offense, something that could translate this season.