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Where there's smoke, there's... more smoke? Looks like Sam Amick is getting aboard the Omer Asik Trade Rumor Wagon as he wheels out a tweet referencing a secondhand source about the Rockets and Sixers. Imagining Daryl Morey and Sam Hinkie talking trades is fun enough.
Final Asik note: Rival execs believe Rockets have deal in place - Philly their educated guess - & looking for better one b4 pulling trigger
— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) December 14, 2013
I mean, it's from rival execs, so maybe it's Hinkie-Morey posturing. Could be legit, but we can infer a bit more from this tweet from Jake.
Sixers source would not confirm or deny possible Asik trade, but did say they will NOT trade Evan Turner for him.
— Jake Pavorsky (@JakePavorsky) December 14, 2013
Well, that certainly seems like there's something in place. It's all vague and uncertain, but the source not saying "No Trade" indicates to me that there's at least some truth to all this.
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On the surface, that's strange because Omer Asik is a good basketball player who costs a decent bit of money ($8.4M cap hit for next season, but more that doesn't go towards the cap) and would need a new contract if he's to be here once the Sixers are theoretically contending. If the Sixers are rebuilding and planning for a good draft pick, Asik doesn't make a ton of sense. There's also the school of thought that says he doesn't fit with Nerlens Noel.
But on the other hand, it's Sam Hinkie. We have to trust him. You can't evaluate every one of his moves (or rumors) in a vacuum. Could be that Hinkie thinks giving Asik a month or two of starting will increase his value and he can flip him again at the deadline. Could be Hinkie thinks Noel more of a 4, where he can guard less physical players while still roaming around the rim.
Oh and I don't particularly care at all about the idea that Asik is a bad teammate or a big baby or anything of that sort. Dude was an excellent player last year who deserves to start. Sure, he handled it poorly when Dwight Howard got there, but that doesn't lessen his value for me. And if it's made his league-wide value drop for Morey, then great. I'd take Asik at a discount and see what Hinkie does in a second.
Anyway.
Odds are, it's Thaddeus Young. Jake's guy saying it's not Evan gets a round "duh" from me. ET doesn't exactly fit the Rockets system. Thad is, and so is Spencer to a lesser extent. No telling what the exact trade would be. I doubt Houston would include a first-rounder coming here, but I could be wrong. Maybe Donatas Motiejunas? Or Terrence Jones? Maybe it's a three-team deal and Asik isn't even coming to Philly? Or maybe it's the Rocky statue for David Carr's rookie year jersey.
So this may happen, or it may not happen. Trust Hinkie Team Chilladelphia either way. December 15th closing fast. I love you guys.
