The Bulls are not making the Rockets wait to find out whether they get center Omer Asik in free agency. If Saturday’s signing of Nazr Mohammed by Chicago wasn’t a clear enough signal, the Bulls have let Asik’s camp know his three year, $25.1 million deal won’t be matched, the Houston Chronicle reports today.
The deadline for the decision is 11:59 ET tonight, but it won’t go that far. The Chronicle reported that an official statement from Chicago could come out when Kirk Hinrich is re-introduced as a Bull today. It’s been more than three weeks since Asik was met at the first moment possible in free agency by Houston reps, who’ve reportedly been trying to trade for the defensive-minded, 7-foot Turk.
So again, who are the Rockets getting? His averages of 3.1 points and 5.3 rebounds aren’t, and shouldn’t, inspire confidence in fans that this was the team’s top priority in free agency. Where his value lives is in his rebounding: Last season he was third, behind Marcus Camby (22.8 percent) and Dwight Howard (21.9), in total rebounding percentage per game with 20.1 percent of all boards. His number is the sixth-highest percentage since he entered the NBA in 2010, with Camby and Howard’s last two seasons (plus a Jeff Foster sighting in 2010-11) ahead of him. His 14.9 percent on offensive boards led the league last season, and he was sixth on the defensive side.
Basically, Houston pins its hope on plays like this.
Is he worth $8 million a year?
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