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A few days ago, the Rockets made it clear that Omer Asik would the their first priority in free agency. Today, they made good on their word, reportedly agreeing with him on a 3 year, $25.1 million deal.
Asik will apparently sign the offer sheet on July 11th, the first day that the July moratorium on roster moves is lifted, and the Chicago Bulls will have three days to decide whether to match it or not.
Because of a clause in the CBA that limits the size of a deal that "Early Bird" free agents may sign, the deal would be heavily back-loaded for the Bulls, leaving a cap hit of nearly $15 million in the third year of the deal. Barring a Joakim Noah trade, it's difficult to imagine the Bulls matching the offer.
For the Rockets, the deal would be an even cap hit of about $8.4 million per year. For a near-elite defensive center who is an excellent rebounder, that's a completely fair deal. Would you rather have Asik at $8 million or DeAndre Jordan at $10 million?
And one more thing. To journalists everywhere: "Houston, We Have A Center" is in no way an acceptable headline.
What do you think? Is it an overpay? Will the Bulls match? Let us know in the comments!