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Remember back in December when everybody was all "Omer Asik gon' get traded" and then Houston was all "nah" and then everybody universally decided to agree that the Rockets would hold onto Asik until the end of time in holy matrimony the likes of which we haven't seen since Willie Green's 48-season run with the Sixers?
From Ken Berger of CBS Sports, we're back on:
Daryl Morey has re-opened trade talks, and the Sixers have more payroll flexibility than any team in the league to make a deal work. The Sixers are $11 million under the salary cap, meaning they can absorb Asik's $8.4 million salary without sending back any players.
The Rockets want a first-round pick for Asik, sources say. The Sixers have New Orleans' 2014 pick (1-5 protected), but are looking to use their cap space to acquire first-round picks -- not divest them. Philadelphia's floor-spacing Spencer Hawes interests the Rockets, but the Sixers have been asking teams for a first-round pick in return.
Okay so the Sixers are considered frontrunners. My somewhat informed opinion is that the Sixers will not trade for Asik. Whether it's Hinkie doing Morey a solid trying to drive up price (doubt it), Hinkie dipping his toes in in an attempt to be the third team in an Asik deal (likely), or someone leaking information that's just wrong (very likely) -- it's probably not that Hinkie is actually interested in trading his assets for an expensive and very good 27-year-old center this season.
I'm not confident enough to say it won't happen, but... I really don't think it will happen. Being the third team in an Asik deal has been the dream for months. Only two days left to see if it'll go down.
