Houston Rockets Trade Omer Asik: Now What?

In case you’ve been living under a rock, or maybe you have a real life outside of sports, last night the Houston Rockets traded Center Omer Asik and $1.5 million dollars in cash to the New Orleans Pelicans for a protected future 1st round draft pick in 2015. Sources have confirmed that the pick is protected in a way that’s similar to the Kyle Lowry-deal, in that, it will probably make your head explode if you think about it too hard.

Long story short, the pick will only go to the Rockets next year if it’s slotted in the 4th through the 20th pick.

And while you might not think that that news would be a reason for me to stop what I was doing the night before and smoke a cigar, you’d be wrong. I suppose it’s only right that while I was celebrating the trade that the movie “Gone in Sixty Seconds” came on.

Because while the trade itself wasn’t highway robbery, the aftermath probably will be.

First, let’s acknowledge that the Anthony Davis, Omer Asik and Ryan Anderson, New Orleans’ front-court triumvirate, will be very tough. They can’t play all three at the same time but that will be a great three-man rotation. And an Asik-Davis starting line-up will make it difficult for any player trying to get in the paint. So it makes a lot of sense from the Pellies side.

However, what it means for the Rockets is completely different. Not only did Houston kill two birds with one stone, they actually accomplished three objectives with this trade. The Rockets cleaned out half of the cap space necessary to sign New York’s Carmelo Anthony or LeBron James via free agency, they rid themselves of an unhappy player who didn’t want to be here after the Dwight Howard trade, and finally, it gave Morey an extra first round pick to do either one of these three things:

1. Keep the pick and draft a player next year.

Also using their own 2015 1st and 2nd round draft picks in the process.

2. Bundle the pick(s) w/ an asset to create a trade for another superstar.

Think about the James Harden trade. It’s eerily similiar situtation for a reason. If it worked once, chances are it’ll work again.

3. Bundle all three picks to move up in the draft.

Think Orlando using the 4th and 12th this year to try to get the 1st overall pick from Cleveland… Only to a lesser degree.

Let’s take a second to break some of those down.

They all are very beneficial in their own way and it’s what makes this trade wildly successful for the Houston Rockets and especially Daryl Morey, in particular. Do you realize that Houston paid Omer Asik only $10 million for the last two seasons combined and now New Orleans is paying him $15 million for this season alone? No matter what happens during the draft and free agency, he’s basically put himself in the exact same position asset-wise as two years ago. Only now, Morey has James Harden and Dwight Howard on his team.

This is going to get interesting really quick. But first, one thing I want to address is some negative Houston fans that act like the world is going to end now if we don’t sign Carmelo or LeBron now.

Give me a break!

While the team would certainly miss out by not signing two of the top five players in the league, it doesn’t mean it should be gloom and doom around here: Chris Bosh, Kyle Lowry, Kevin Love, Kevin Durant (!). There’s a lot of good players becoming available within the next 12 months. Some of you guys sound like Lakers’ fans… Grow up! This is going to be an exciting next few weeks. You need to enjoy what Morey has been able to accomplish and look forward to a better Houston Rockets team next year.

More from Houston Rockets

You want a starting five of Patrick Beverly, James Harden, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard? Good. Trade TAFKAL (the artist formerly known as linsanity) for cap space. Sign LeBron outright. And trade Chandler Parsons and a future first in a sign-and-trade with New York for Melo and were done. It’s not that easy, as everyone would have to take large paycuts, but you never know what athletes will do for championships. I don’t know why people keep insisting that we’d give up James Harden in a sign-and-trade? They said the same things last year about CP and Asik when we were trying to get Howard. How’d that work out for Lakers’ fans?

Are you the type of person that doesn’t like Melo or think we can’t sign LeBron outright? Fine. Trade TAFKAL ~~because his fans are annoying~~ to clear cap space. Sign Kyle Lowry and Shawn Marion for $18 million between the two. Trade Parsons, Donatus Motiejunas and two first rounders to Minnesota for Kevin Love. New starting five: Kyle Lowry, James Harden, Shawn Marion, Kevin Love, Dwight Howard.

The options go on and on. Keep TAFKAL (yuck!) Match any Chandler Parsons offer. Run things back and keep consistency. So many options. Look for trades at the deadline. Use first round picks to move up and let TAFKAL walk after the season is over, trade away Parsons like they did for Asik and you’ve got $18 million ready to give to next newly opted superstar…

Great job, Morey. Now let’s go get LeBron and Melo!!

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