Rockets agree to trade Omer Asik

The Houston Rockets have agreed to trade defensive specialist center Omer Asik to the New Orleans Pelicans in a deal aimed at clearing salary-cap space to chase LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony in free agency, sources told ESPN.com.

In exchange for Asik, the Rockets will receive the Pelicans' 2015 first-round draft pick. The Rockets also will include $1.5 million in cash as part of the deal.

This maneuver by the Rockets also sets up the team to trade point guard Jeremy Lin, which would open up enough cap space for the Rockets to make a run at James and Anthony.

Asik is going into the last year of a three-year contract where he will earn $15 million as part of a balloon salary Houston gave him in a complex deal in 2011.

Asik averaged 5.8 points and 7.9 rebounds last season when he became a backup after Houston signed Dwight Howard. Asik asked for a trade last summer and was on the market during the season but the Rockets couldn't find a deal they liked.

The Pelicans have been on the lookout for a center to play alongside young star Anthony Davis since last season.

The draft pick included in the deal has protections. It will go to the Rockets if it falls into a range between the late lottery and the 20th pick, sources said.

The trade cannot be finalized until after Thursday's draft because of league rules.

Information from ESPN.com's Jeff Goodman was used in this report.

So this Chris Broussard rumor that we all laughed at as being something he made up makes sense....

Houston could trade Harden to NY for Melo.....then Lebron could sign with Houston straight up.

All they have to do is get rid of Lin the same way they got rid of Asik....

Also could these second round picks, Larkin and Wellington be flipped to Houston to make this all work?

In Phil we trust mother****ers

On a different note, if Omer Asik was worth a 2015 lottery pick, WHY THE HELL DIDN'T WE MOVE TYSON CHANDLER THERE?!?!?! Demps might've thrown in their 2017, leapfrog the Cavs GM for the dumbest executive in the league.

EnySpree wrote:Big tings a gwon....

So this Chris Broussard rumor that we all laughed at as being something he made up makes sense....

Houston could trade Harden to NY for Melo.....then Lebron could sign with Houston straight up.

All they have to do is get rid of Lin the same way they got rid of Asik....

Also could these second round picks, Larkin and Wellington be flipped to Houston to make this all work?

In Phil we trust mother****ers

CrushAlot wrote:

EnySpree wrote:Big tings a gwon....

So this Chris Broussard rumor that we all laughed at as being something he made up makes sense....

Houston could trade Harden to NY for Melo.....then Lebron could sign with Houston straight up.

All they have to do is get rid of Lin the same way they got rid of Asik....

Also could these second round picks, Larkin and Wellington be flipped to Houston to make this all work?

In Phil we trust mother****ers

I messed around on trade machine earlier and plugged asik in from the rockets (Lin's deal is identical). The Knicks could send dalembert, Murry, kmart, aldrich and another non guaranteed deal and it worked. My thought was to get the 25th pick in the deal. The Knicks don't need Lin and they need dalembert.

What about the idea of getting Harden for Melo though?

EnySpree wrote:

CrushAlot wrote:

EnySpree wrote:Big tings a gwon....

So this Chris Broussard rumor that we all laughed at as being something he made up makes sense....

Houston could trade Harden to NY for Melo.....then Lebron could sign with Houston straight up.

All they have to do is get rid of Lin the same way they got rid of Asik....

Also could these second round picks, Larkin and Wellington be flipped to Houston to make this all work?

In Phil we trust mother****ers

I messed around on trade machine earlier and plugged asik in from the rockets (Lin's deal is identical). The Knicks could send dalembert, Murry, kmart, aldrich and another non guaranteed deal and it worked. My thought was to get the 25th pick in the deal. The Knicks don't need Lin and they need dalembert.

What about the idea of getting Harden for Melo though?

I don't want to think about it. Not a fan of harden. I know he is reay good I just don't want him in ny.

gunsnewing wrote:

NardDogNation wrote:It's official Dell Demps is the 2nd worst GM in the league behind whoever the Cavs trot out. At the very least, we can look forward to Anthony Davis leaving in a few years, possibly to the Knicks.

On a different note, if Omer Asik was worth a 2015 lottery pick, WHY THE HELL DIDN'T WE MOVE TYSON CHANDLER THERE?!?!?! Demps might've thrown in their 2017, leapfrog the Cavs GM for the dumbest executive in the league.

Because they don't want Flu. Been there done that. Asik has upside

Asik is 27. The "upside" days for him are largely over.

gunsnewing wrote:

yellowboy90 wrote:

gunsnewing wrote:

NardDogNation wrote:It's official Dell Demps is the 2nd worst GM in the league behind whoever the Cavs trot out. At the very least, we can look forward to Anthony Davis leaving in a few years, possibly to the Knicks.

On a different note, if Omer Asik was worth a 2015 lottery pick, WHY THE HELL DIDN'T WE MOVE TYSON CHANDLER THERE?!?!?! Demps might've thrown in their 2017, leapfrog the Cavs GM for the dumbest executive in the league.

Because they don't want Flu. Been there done that. Asik has upside

Never mind. I wonder though if without Felton could the knicks got a 2015 1st. It doesn't matter now.

Who needs a 2015 1st. Houston will be a playoff team

When you have the next Isiah Thomas/tiny archibald in Shane Larkin!

I wish I could divorce myself from reality like that, lol. I got a feeling that in 2 years, Larkin won't even be in the league. I much rather have that 2015 pick, if he is the guy we're resting our hopes on.