Former Chicago Bulls center Omer Asik may be on the move soon. The big man didn’t suit up against his former teammates in Houston on Wednesday night, and the rumor mill has Asik being traded to the Boston Celtics for Brandon Bass and Courtney Lee, possibly as soon as Thursday.
Asik signed with the Rockets in the summer of 2012 and had his best season as a pro, averaging 10.1 points and 11.7 rebounds in his first full-time starting role in the NBA. But the following summer, Houston signed Dwight Howard as a free agent – effectively diminishing Asik’s role as a starter – and the Turkish big man has been looking to get out of town ever since.
“It’s tough because he’s a good dude. He’s a great teammate,” said Taj Gibson in support of his former teammate. “That was my road dog in Chicago, the way our chemistry was on the basketball court. It’s just the business. I thought he played well last year. He’s an All-Star caliber center. Things just changed over the summer, when they got Dwight Howard.”
“It’s tough for Omer, so I wish him nothing but the best. That’s my boy, that’s my brother,” offered Joakim Noah. “Some of the best years I’ve had in the league was with him. And good dude, man. Good dude; works his [expletive] off and I think he’s been in a tough situation – Dwight coming here, not being able to play. He’s somebody who wants to play and I respect that. He’s competitive as hell and I wish him nothing but the best.”
