Asik is the one who is expendable. He is also the one who would generate the most interest and provide the most in return. Lin continues to be undervalued and underutilized in this offense. The Lin/Beverly question continues to confound me since its obvious who is better. Beverly plays better on the ball defense. Yes Jeremy looked silly at times against CP3, but who doesnt? Any astute viewer of the NBA knows that natural ability on defense can be made up for with effort and smarts, two things Lin doesnt lack. Also looking at the landscape of the rest of the league not many teams need a PG and there not going to give up much or Lin to be a bench player. The only team I can think of who would be interested is the Lakers and its evident that the Lakers dont want anyone who salary extends past this year,
The Rockets are 8 games into an 82 game season (almost 10%). Other than Harden Lin has shown to be the 2nd best offensive player and best outside shooter on a consistent basis. He is an efficient scorer who is always willing to find the open man (two things Harden isnt).
i think that the Rockets actually have two tradable assets on the team. Asik, and D MO or Terrance Jones. Having both D MO and Jones is great but there isnt enough minutes for both players to develop into players who can contribute. Greg Smith is a very servicable backup for D12 so worrying about frontcourt depth shouldnt be an issue.
Im a realist when it comes to what the Rockets could get in return for Asik. Lets be real, Lamarcus Aldridge, Al Horford, and Kevin Love are not going to get traded for Asik. Even if those players respective teams were willing to trade them the Rockets lack what teams want in return (high first round draft picks, young talent). Both Jones and D MO are young but they arent the type of talent teams trade All-Stars for.
What the Rockets need are a starting caliber PF and an above average wing defender. The Rockets dont need an All-Star caliber power forward. Rather they need on who can hit the open shot, rebound, play interior defense, and block shots. I dont even necessarily think having one who hits 3 pointers is a must.
Some interesting prospects for the PF position are as follows (ranked by order of most desirable):
Jeff Green Boston Celtics: Not a true PF but given that the Rockets rebound pretty well at positions 1,2, and 3 this isnt a great concern. Green shows flashes of brilliance but sometimes disappears. Would I want him as my #1 or #2 best player? A0sbolutely not, but as a fourth option, definitely. He's a good outside shooter and can do a little of everything. I think it might take a third party with a first round pick to make this deal work since the Celtics most likely arent looking to win right now (which any team who takes Asik most likely will be).
Ryan Anderson NO Pelicans: True definition of a stretch 4. Would instantly make the Rockets better on offense and teams wouldnt be able to collapse on D12 in the paint. Also better at rebounding then most would suspect. Problem with Anderson is that there wouldnt be enough shots to go around among the starters (Harden, Parsons, Lin/Beverly, Howard). And if Anderson isnt scoring, why else is he in there?
Tristan Thompson Cleveland Cavaliers: If the Bynum experiment doesnt work I could see the Cavs looking for a center in order to stay competitve. Thompson is young and talented. He lacks a perimeter shot but he is a double double guy every night.
Other not as big name options:
Channing Frye Phx Suns: He can do a little bit of everything, not great at any one thing. Two years ago was one of the NBA's most prolific 3 point shooters. Gives effort on defense and on the boards.
Patrick Patterson Sac Kings: Why not?
Wing Defender options:
Iman Shumpert NY Knicks: Rumors of him being on the trading block already exist. Young talent, athletic freak. Can guard the 1, 2 or 3. Can guard the opponents best perimeter player. Quick enough to guard PG's. Raw offensively but can score in the open court. NY also in the market for big men due to Chandlers injury. Not sure if salaries would work since Asik makes much more and Knicks arent in position to take on more salary cap.
Ideal trade wound be Asik and DMO to the Raptors for Amir Johnson, Landry Fields, and Steve Novak and a protected 1rst round pick. This trade makes a lot of sense. The raptors have let it known that everyone except Jonas V is available. This brings Jonas and D Mo together and also gives the Raptors an elite rim protector in Asik. With DeRozan, Lowry, Gay, Jonas V, and Asik, this is a starting 5 that can make the playoffs in the east. In return the Rockets get a starting PF (Amir Johnson), an elite 3 point shooter (former Rocket Novak), and a still young and talented wing player (Landry Fields). The initial reaction to Fields might be negative but I think he has a lot of value in the right situation. He is also back from an injury so that might be a concern. But for those of us who remember his first few years with the Knicks he was a two way player who could do a little of everything.
This trade would not only fill specific needs, but provide some quality NBA players. Championship teams arent built with only all NBA players. But they also need players who have a specific role and provide quality minutes. Look at the Heat, yes they have 3 all stars, but Battier, Chalmers, Birdman and Haslem all played big minutes in big moments.
The rotations with the ideal trade scenario would be as follows:
PG: Lin
SG: Harden
SF: Parsons
PF: Amir Johnson
C: Howard
Sixth Man: Beverly
Role Players: Casspi, Fields, Jones, Novak
Bench PLayers: Garcia*, Brooks.
With all due respect to Garcia he should not be a role player on a championship contender. Hes a savvy veteran who can hit an outside shot when wide open, but thats about it. He should be used only in case of emergency (foul trouble or injuries).
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