There is a reason Chicago was happy to see Asik go on that contract. Nobody there is interested in bringing him back.
In this thread I'm actually less interested in the merits of pursuing Asik (which brings in a LOT of factors) and more interested in comparing Lopez and Asik as pure defensive centers. Honestly I'd love to be convinced that Lopez has somehow already achieved uber elite status, but the only arguments I've seen so far are RAH RAH RAH GO BLAZERS!!!!
If you're interested, this is one of the things that sold me on Asik's value, in addition to some advance on/off stats: http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2013/10/15/4830936/omer-asik-defense-video-breakdown-houston-rockets
16-3 is a pretty damn good argument. Maybe the team putting a lot of emphasis with how well Lopez works with them?
Wrong and once Denny reads this, you will know the truth. In fact, many Chicago fans said "oh you can have him!"
Interesting that a Los Angles talk show was discussing Asik today. They proposed taking both Lin and Asik's contracts off Houston's hands. (giving Houston flexibility this summer) They would give up Nash..... Their thinking was that it would help them now, and also in two years when they want cap space. Said Lin played his best ball under D'Antoni , and Asik would give them a defensive presence. They even mentioned trading Gasol if necessary.
You did not answer the question as to why Houston makes that trade. You said "value". What value is being added to Houston? If the answer is "not so much" then this entire argument is DOA - dead on arrival. You failed the question of opportunity cost. Losing Lopez does nothing but jack up the chemistry for Portland.
What is your agenda in this thread, TowelBoy? You rarely post in 5 years as a member, yet you show up after a huge Blazer win insinuating that Lopez should be traded. Then, you give one word responses when people question your thread. What did you think was going to happen after posting this thread tonight?
He's training to be an attorney. This is what they do. Works well in a court room. Not so well in a fan forum.
I think I did answer the value added question. If a team with an MVP-caliber center can trade a very good center for 2-3 good pieces they need more, they've improved their balance. And that doesn't even touch on the fact that NBA teams often make trades for chemistry reasons, and they might value getting the malcontent Asik out of town. I don't know what you want me to say about the opportunity cost of losing Lopez. That issue is inherent in my central question of which center is better and by how much. If Asik is better, then by trading Lopez you get more than you give up. That's the definition of being better.