The Houston Rockets have been playing very well this season and they are shaping up to be a contender out west and with the trading deadline coming up and rumors starting to crop out from teams, could the franchise look to move players like Jeremy Lin, Omer Asik, Chandler Parsons, Patrick Beverley or Aaron Brooks to shore things up for a championship run?
Asik is looking like the most obvious player to get moved, as he has been mentioned in multiple trade rumors this season and he has already reportedly asked for a trade multiple times. Daryl Morey has made some statement on both sides, as he almost pulled off a deal with the Boston Celtics before backing out and he later stated after that deal that Asik likely would remain with the Rockets through his contract, which goes through next season.
Morey is a smart guy and an outside the box thinker and he realizes that Asik is wasting away on the bench right now and if the team is realistic about winning a championship, they will try and move him for a piece that can be valuable right now. Sure, the Rockets have a window with Dwight Howard and James Harden that should last a few years at least, but with the east looking very weak and the west stacked but vulnerable, this could actually be the best chance to make a title run for the Rockets.
Parsons has a great contract trade wise, but his value is so good the team may want to keep him. The only issue for the Rockets is the contract they will have to give Parsons down the line, as he has played very well over the past two years, including last year when he averaged 18.2 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.7 assists against the Thunder in the playoffs.
Lin and Asik have been mentioned the most in rumors and while Lin likely isn't going anywhere, the team could entertain a deal for either Lin or Beverley, as they have shown confidence in both point guards. In fact, Beverley was named the starter at the beginning of the season and that could be a factor as Morey starts to navigate the trade deadline and what's out there. Morey is not afraid to pull off moves that others find a bit out there, including when he surprised everyone with the James Harden deal and he also pulled off the Thomas Robinson trade and that enabled the team to eventually sign Dwight Howard.
Asik was one of the best centers in the NBA last season and averaged 10 points and over 11 rebounds per game while starting in all 82 on the schedule, but after the Rockets signed Howard, he saw the writing on the wall already. Once Howard was signed, Asik reportedly asked for a trade and was not granted one, as Morey and Kevin McHale said that both Asik and Howard would be used on the floor at the same time. That never worked out and eventually Asik was benched and had his starting spot yanked and then after getting injured his value dropped immensely. Now Asik is on his way back to getting on the court and he could be playing next week, just in time for the deadline.