It looks like Brad Stevens might have a new, 7-foot toy to play with this Christmas.
Omer Asik, the disgruntled and underutilized center for the Houston Rockets, is the subject of serious talks between the Rockets and the Celtics, according to multiple reports. Whether the Celtics are the aggressors in the discussions or are sitting back and waiting for the Rockets to finalize their offer depends on which report you read.
In addition to a three-way deal that would send Jeff Green to Cleveland, there have also been discussions about a more conventional trade between Boston and Houston. In this scenario, floated by Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, the Rockets would get Brandon Bass, Courtney Lee and one of the Celtics’ first-round draft picks.
Asik, who has appeared in just 17 of a possible 25 games for the Rockets this season, will count for roughly $8.4 million against the cap this season and next, although reports have indicated that the 27-year-old big man will actually be paid $15 million in 2014-15. Bass has one year at $6.9 million remaining on his contract beyond this season, while Lee is signed through 2016 at about $5.5 million per year. It’s not specified which of the Celtics’ nine first-rounders in the next five years the Rockets would get in this scenario.
Finally, Ken Berger of CBS Sports reports a potential three-way deal involving the Celtics, Rockets and Sixers, although there are no specifics. Berger describes it as merely a “weird deal.” Regardless of what happens, nobody seems to expect anything to happen by Thursday, yet the Rockets would need to complete the trade by Thursday in order to turn around and trade any of the players it acquires before the Feb. 20 trade deadline.
