The Houston Rockets reportedly have reopened discussions with the Philadelphia 76ers in regard to trading Omer Asik. Rockets general manager Daryl Morey, who ended trade talks for Asik in December, is now open again to moving Asik before the trade deadline, CBS Sports' Ken Berger reports.
With the trade deadline less than two days away, Asik's name is again making the rounds.
"The Rockets have renewed efforts to trade disgruntled center Omer Asik, with the Philadelphia 76ers emerging once again as a potential landing spot, league sources told CBSSports.com on Tuesday," Berger wrote.
Berger cites Philadelphia's financial situation - $11 million under the salary cap and needing to add $5.1 million to meet the league's cap minimum - as a reason why the team could be a serious contender for Asik. The 76ers, who pursued Asik in December, can acquire the center's $8.4 million salary without having to send a player to Houston.
There are at least two snags to any potential trade for Asik. First, the Rockets are said to want a first-round draft pick for Asik, while the 76ers reportedly want to stockpile draft picks in order to rebuild.
Second, Asik's contract and the season being almost halfway over makes acquiring the 7-footer a costly proposition for any team.
"The structure of the offer sheet Asik signed, which calls for him to be paid $15 million next season, has been problematic," wrote Berger. "Though his cap hit would be only $8.4 million in 2014-15, any team acquiring Asik before Thursday's deadline would face an expenditure of $17 million for him to play a little more than 100 games - a tough sell for any owner under the restrictive CBA."
The aforementioned snags have deterred the Toronto Raptors, Brooklyn Nets and Atlanta Hawks from pursuing Asik.
The NBA trade deadline is on Thursday, Feb. 20 at 3:00 p.m. ET.
