Stephen A. Smith: "Heard some news about some potential deal involving Jeremy Lin"

I agree keeping your team properly motivated in crucial to productivity in any organization.

Where I differ with you and where I think others are having issue with Asik if indeed he has a attitude problem is that he is essentially a contract worker. He signed a 3 year contract for his unique services. Now a contractor might be (in part) motivated to enter into that contract on the hope/assumption/or even verbal commitment by the contract holder to develop and display their unique skills to the market at large (in hopes of being able to showcase their body of work for his next contract).

However, there are no guarantees in these contracts of such things. The organization isn't obligated to do anything other than pay out the agreed upon contract. Likewise, there is no guarantee the contractor will be able to actually perform the work as hoped. Asik was unproven prior to his contract. He received starter money....that was a risk on DM's part and many around the league thought the contract was higher than Asik should have received. ALSO, what happens if Asik gets injured for the majority or a large portion of his contract. The Rockets are still obligated to pay the contract regardless.

This is what distinguished salaried employees. There are longer term implications with employees. If this were an employee/employer salary situation, Asik could quit at any time and take his services elsewhere. Likewise, the Rockets could fire him at any point if he no longer fit their plans. The purpose of the contracts is to mitigate the risk in the NBA market where needs/goals of teams and players change constantly.

Asik was given a $25 million dollar contract to lend his services to the Rockets. As long as the Rockets are paying that contract, Asik is obligated to offer those services (barring some physical or mental disability) in whatever capacity the Rockets see fit.

And if the issue is just doing "right" by Asik or how other player/agents might view how the Rockets handle his situation negatively....it's not like their paying him his contract to go out and do the halftime show or something demeaning. The Rockets signed the best player at his position in the league. Every team/player/agent understands that and would do the same if they were in the Rockets shoes.

 

Found this article from May 2012

Daryl Morey Begs Rocket Fans to Beg Omer Asik to Come Here, and Dammit It Worked!

http://blogs.houstonpress.com/hairballs/2012/07/dwight_howard_hates_houston_so.php

I remember reading an article quoting some Asik representative where he
said that there was some understanding on coming to Houston where
Morey would not actively recruit a center to start in front on Asik.
And he was quite upset that this was reneged on.

I cant seem to find this article right now.

I can understand why he would be upset. I would be too.
Not sure if I would react the same way though.

Maybe he really is injured. Cos if you look at Greg Smith, he is
out for even longer on a thigh bruise, which I think is what
Asik said he had.

 

I did Google it and I didn't find anything other than some speculation on some message boards. If you are going to accuse someone of lying then you had better be ready to back it up with evidence, and since you are the one throwing around the accusation it most certainly is your responsibility to repost such an article.

If it's here then it shouldn't be difficult. And it needs to be definitive, not speculation. Anything less, and it's no better than your opinion.

And the reason I ask is because that's not the sort of thing that I think Morey is going to throw around with someone at Asik's level. Dwight probably got a promise like that, but he doesn;t have to worry about being replaced as a starter. Same with Harden. Anyone else, I think it unlikely. Morey is known around the league as a man who views players as assets. Making such a promise to Asik would be extremely out of character for him. And with Morey, you know going into the deal that he will trade you in a millisecond if he thinks it advances the team and its position.

So, post some REAL evidence - not speculation - or your assertion that Morey lied to Asik is worth less than the bandwidth you are taking up typing it. And consequently, so is the rest of your argument.

 

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ejbMKRXupkU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


They promised him the starting Spot,just watch this

 

http://www.unionleader.com/article/20131220/SPORTS/131229948&template=mobileart

Word is he was told the club would sign no center ahead of him when he agreed to join Houston as a free agent in 2012. When Dwight Howard was lured this past summer, Asik reminded them of his agreement and quietly asked to be moved.

"The word is" is far from a confirmed fact.

 

Would love to have Lin back in New York. Will never reach his full potential playing alongside harden. Lin's talent is being wasted on a team that doesn't need it. Better for both parties to part ways. Rockets will get a talent from a Lin trade that would fit better like a wing defender with range and Lin gets to play as a ball dominant point guard again.

Will also love asik in New York. Chandler is a good trade considering asik wants out. Love chandler to death, man plays with passion. Championship experience as well. Don't think chandler will complain much coming off bench due to injuries. Chandlers minutes need to be restricted anyways. Asik gets to start in New York. With melo, lin and asik, reaching the playoffs in the weak east is quite attainable. Chandler will thrust Houston into true contendership with 48 minutes of paint defense and rebounding.

For the trade to go down, shumpert (strong man to man) and/or Tim hardaway jr (great long range bomber) will be included. Houston will do very well with this trade with the knicks.

Ps Houston probably has to take Fat felton.

 

And he got the starting spot. That is not remotely the same thing as saying "And we promise to never sign another center to replace you".

It was never a secret that Morey coveted Dwight. Did Morey tell Omer "Hey, you're our starting center for life. I'll never chase another one again as long as you're here". No? Then the "promise" and the "lie" are both fabrications.

 

Oh come on !

Of course Morey told him that, and he signed the contract.

Big deal - things change, Morey has to do what is right for the team ahead of the player.

Also, nothing wrong with Asik saying - screw it then, trade me, both sides looking out for their own business interests.

Time to move Asik along and roll with what we got.

DD

 

This is the best take on the whole Asik business. Thank you.

 

Both guys have to look after their self interest. I don't fault either one. Morey cemented his future with Dwight. Asik is in his prime and rotting on the bench is not cool. Hope things work out for asik and the rockets.

 

Lin and Asik for Chandler and Shump/Hardaway looks good to me.

 

The interesting thing about the Asik situation is that Morey has gone out of his way to say how much they respect Asik and how they tried hard to grant his wishes in December out of that respect. Of course a GM is typically not going to talk badly about guys on the team even when there are issues with them, but most of the time they go the "no comment" or "we would listen to any offer but we are not actively pursuing a deal" route.

It could be that Morey genuinely feels a little guilty about having reneged in at least a part of a promise. Could also be that Morey wants to play nice with Asik's agent, Arn Tellem, to grease the wheel for future deals. We'll see. It just strikes me that Morey's statements on this matter is a little different than the usual.

 

And Omer spake all these words, saying, I am the Asik thy Center, which have brought thee out of the land of fifteenth pick, out of the house of futility. Thou shalt have no other centers before me.
Morey=Satan confirmed

 

We'll said

 

Good lord. Since you are obviously a Knicks fan, and not a fan of the Rockets, shouldn't you be posting these fantasies on a Knicks board? If you insist on posting them here, at least be up front and declare your loyalties. We have fans of other teams posting here, but they usually say that's what they are.

 

Yep jlin will reach his full potential with melo ISO - delusional LOFS

 

It seems two common mistakes were made: (1) Dolan burned the bridge with Lin. This makes the proposed deal - which could've been a big win for the Knicks - dead on arrival. Dolan would look like a complete fool. (2) Morey gave out a promise a bit too casually, probably in the glow of the moment. I think we've all done what Morey did before. Circumstances changed, and Morey is put in a bad spot. But his obligations to the Rockets organization still supercede any oral promise to Asik. (IIRC from contract law, oral promises of this sort can be legally binding, so cannot be given out too lightly, although do not remember the details.)

Sloppy fundamentals on the part of both management teams.

 

Would love Lin to go back to NY. I like the kid but it is better for the BBS.
Also just strange for NBA irony purposes.

 

I think JLIn could've been motivated by someone telling him to (1) just win the sixth man award [probably too late now], (2) help the Rockets win the championship. Someone should have put it to him in this way near the beginning of the year. And that should be enough for someone like JLin to accept his somewhat reduced role, yet bring his "A game" for the whole year.

Asik, I don't know. How do you get him to accept 12-15 minutes per game for the season, including lows of 4 minutes in certain games? The reduction is too much to swallow.

 

Been Rockets fan for a long time. Watched rockets 100 to 1 over knicks cause I can't stand melo. Can't somebody be a fan of two clubs? I watched like 2 knicks games this year and they both involved the rockets.