After denying they would be active in the trade market, the Boston Celtics have emerged as the frontrunners for the Houston rockets trade involving Omer Asik. The Rockets have said they are working to finalize a deal to get the center traded before the end of the week and it appears they will meet that deadline. After five teams expressed interest, the Cetlics have their trade package to offer.
The Rockets wanted star-in-the-making Jeff Green in return for the Celtics, but Boston is not about to offer up their best performer. Plenty of teams have tried to get Green by way of a three-team trade, but so far Boston has blocked all offers. Green is putting up the best year of his career on the overachieving Celtics. He is averaging 16.5 points per game and 4.5 rebounds while shooting 45.3 percent from the field. He is versatile and would have an immediate impact on any team, which is why Boston is not giving him up.
Instead, Yahoo! Sports is reporting the Celtics have offered up a deal including Brandon Bass, Courtney Lee and a first-round draft pick in exchange for Asik. There is the possibility that a third team could get involved, mainly revolving around Lee, but that package appears to be enough for Houston. That would give Houston the draft pick they had been searching for and an impact player in Bass.
This trade looks good on both ends. It does bring up questions on what the long-term plan is in Boston. Asik would provide a much-needed upgrade on defense which could start to string together a lot of wins for Boston. However, that could make them playoff contenders. Is that what Danny Ainge wants? The idea surrounding the Celtics was that they would enter a rebuilding phase and stock up on draft picks for the future. Asik would derail that slighty.
For Houston, getting Bass could be the perfect pairing with Dwight Howard. Asik and Howard failed to co-exist on the court, mainly because the center was pushed to the bench. But, Bass and Howard have history together after playing in Orlando. While they reportedly are not friends, they did have solid chemistry on the court.
After five teams, Boston appears to be the favorite. Yahoo! Sports reports that Atlanta and Cleveland made offers and the rumored involved of Portland was never true. If Houston wants Asik gone, they will likely take the Celtics' deal.
