The Houston Rockets tabled trade talks involving center Omer Asik on Thursday, the team's self-imposed deadline. General manager Daryl Morey told SportsTalk 790 that despite advanced discussions with other teams, a deal was eventually struck down:
Omer Asik trade: Daryl Morey says deal fell apart at ownership level
Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey shed some light on why Asik trade talks ended without a deal.
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“We were definitely trying to move him, but frankly it takes two to tango,” Morey said. “It was trending toward something happening, but sometimes when you get to those last approvals and the owner ... they don’t happen. You are never going to do a deal that doesn’t help the team or at least keep it even. And those didn’t present themselves.”
Asik asked for a trade after it became clear he wasn't an ideal fit with fellow center Dwight Howard, but now it seems he's stuck in Houston for "quite a long time," Morey said. The Rockets still could deal him before the trade deadline on Feb. 20, but they now don't have the ability to trade any players acquired in such a deal -- players can't be moved for two months after being traded the first time.
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Morey said that the team “owed it” to Asik to seek out trade partners.
The Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers were rumored to be the two major suitors, but it became clear that the market value of Turkish big man wasn’t enough to appease Houston in what it could receive in return. Additionally, it could be difficult for teams to take on Asik, who has another year on his contract and will be an unrestricted free agent after the 2014-15 season.
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