Houston Rockets Caught Red-Handed; No NBA Team Interested in Omer Asik

Houston Rockets Caught Red-Handed: NBA Teams Aren’t Interested in Omer Asik

July 1, 2013 3:00 pm EDT by Devin O'Barr gplus

Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

It’s nothing new: NBA teams time and time again try to reinvent the wheel in free agency and wind up getting burned. For the disorganized Houston Rockets, last year’s Omer Asik signing should be a lesson to all of the NBA fans who want to spend money like it’s going out of style.

Asik was a hot commodity as a restricted free agent last offseason due to his upside and seven-foot frame. He’s the kind of defensive stopper that a franchise can build around — I get it. However, the Rockets were in no position to snag the restricted free agent at such an expensive price; Asik was signed last offseason to a three-year deal worth $25.1 million. To put it in perspective, the awkward center is making $14.8 million in 2014-15, which is more cash than Houston is giving superstar James Harden.

Can you name a team that is willing to spend that kind of money on a guy who needs the ball put on a silver platter in order for him to score?

Me neither.

So, the Rockets are hamstrung and they only have themselves to blame. Houston knew that Dwight Howard would be a free agent after the 2012-13 season, which is exactly why everyone was so shocked when they offered Asik such a pretty dotted line to sign on last summer. While the Rockets could still win the Howard sweepstakes, the Houston front office should be blasted for spending a massive amount of money on Asik.

With the Rockets already making a few offseason deals, the rumor mill will be churning, yet the Rockets aren’t going to get many takers on the overpaid big man.

Devin O’Barr is the Content Commentator for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @DevinOBarrRS, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.

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MK Ultra

I don’t think they are going to try and move Asik. Also 25 mil over 3 years in not a bad price for a player of his caliber at the center position. All the good centers are under contract for the next few years. They used Asik as a part of the pitch to Dwight Howard last night. All signs point to the rockets making major upgrades to the frontcourt. They have meetings scheduled with Corey Brewer and Mike Dunleavy Jr while they’re in the LA area.
JEV

It shouldn’t matter to you how much the Rockets are paying Asik in the final year of his deal. You should probably look more closely at how the deal counts toward the cap for a team that signs a RFA. It counts as 8+ mil for each of the 3 years towards the cap figure for the Rockets. That’s the only thing that you should consider important. If there is no market for him now there will be in the final year as an expiring deal.