NBA Trade Rumors 2013: Jeremy Lin Shopped Around While Omer Asik Requests Trade In Dwight Howard Houston Rockets Aftermath

Houston Rockets center Omer Asik has formally asked the team to trade him, as a result of the franchise signing former Los Angeles Lakers star Dwight Howard last Friday, according to ESPN.

Asik--who would have to slide over to power forward or play Howard's back-up if he wants to stay on the starting lineup--has threatened to leave the team as a free agent even though he has two years, $20 million left on his deal.

Houston has refused Asik's demand, with head coach Kevin McHaleR feeling confident they can get him to buy into the team's future plans.

"With Omer, he had a great year for us last year and really became one of the top centers in the league," McHale said at the Orlando Pro Summer League. "It's just when you have an opportunity to get Dwight, it's hard not to. I'm sure Omer right now is a little down in the dumps, but we'll pick him up."

McHale feels he can play both "bigs" in the lineup despite the fact that both play the center position, using them similar to the way the Rockets had used Hakeem Olajuwan and Ralph Sampson. Asik played all 82 games.

"You do play two bigs," said McHale, a Hall of Fame power forward who played and won titles along with fellow Hall of Famer center Robert Parrish. "You have to get spacing and you have to make sure your small guys have got to make sure they keep the court spaced."

Jeremy Lin's future with the Rockets may also be on shaky ground, following the Howard signing. Despite Houston the general manager's insistence that neither Lin nor Asik are not on the trade block, Bill Ingram - senior NBA writer for HOOPSWORLD reports "a source with direct knowledge of the situation confirms Rockets working hard to move Jeremy Lin ... very limited interest for teams," according to his Twitter account.

Lin averaged 13.4 points, 6.1 assists, and 3.0 rebounds per game this season, but is scheduled for a cap hit of almost $8.4 million for the next two seasons, making it difficult for the Rockets to find a suitable trade partner.