Houston Rockets: Asik NOT Getting Dealt…Today!

Credit: Andrew Richardson-USA TODAY Sports

The deadline that Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey set as the day which the Rockets would trade disgruntled center Omer Asik has finally come, and with it news that the Rockets have yet to find the deal they want.

Trade deadline (Feb. 20) still a long way away but there is growing pessimism within Rockets that they can find a trade partner on Asik

— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) December 19, 2013

“This gives [Houston] a chance to buy some more time,” one source involved in the deal process told Yahoo Sports.

Daryl Morey informed Asik’s agent Arn Tellem of his decision on Thursday afternoon, sources said.

Asik has a $15 million salary-cap hit next season, and that, combined with rival teams’ unwillingness to package a quality power forward with an unrestricted first-round draft pick, pushed Morey away from making what he believed would be a bad deal now.

Boston had offered Houston a package of Brandon Bass, Courtney Lee and a restricted future first-round pick, but the sides could never come to terms on an agreement. Philadelphia had remained in pursuit of Asik, but Morey found no deal there, either.

The NBA’s trade deadline is Feb. 20.

We now wait to see if Omer gets brought back into the rotation, or he remains grumpy and “Die-Hard Terrorist” upset on the bench.