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| Omer Asik is about to get paid. (Getty Images) |
Memories of Yao Ming. Dreams of Dwight Howard. And, now, hopes for Omer Asik.
The Houston Rockets have reportedly agreed to make a 3-year, $25 million offer sheet to Chicago Bulls restricted free agent center Omer Asik a 3-year offer worth more $25.1 million, according to Yahoo Sports.
Ken Berger of CBSSports.com has confirmed the agreed upon offer sheet and notes that the offer is structured so that it pays out roughly $5 million each in years one and two with the third year clocking in at $15 million.
Offer sheets cannot officially be extended until July 11, when the NBA's current 10-day free agency moratorium is lifted. The Bulls will have three days to decide whether or not to match the offer.
The Rockets have desperately been searching for an answer in the middle since Yao was forced to retire with chronic health issues. They traded center Samuel Dalembert in advance of last week's NBA Draft, veteran center Marcus Camby is an unrestricted free agent and they are reportedly in the mix for a trade for Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard.
Rockets GM Daryl Morey met with Asik on July 1 and even asked Rockets fans to send messages to Asik via Twitter. The Portland Trail Blazers also reportedly met with Asik on July 1.
The Bulls are loaded down with big-dollar contracts for franchise point guard Derrick Rose, center Joakim Noah and forwards Carlos Boozer and Luol Deng. Retaining Asik -- a valued, active and reliable defender -- without finding a way to dump other salary would push them into the luxury tax territory.
Asik, 25, averaged 3.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.0 block in 14.7 minutes per game off the bench for the Bulls last season. A native of Turkey, Asik was a second round selection by the Blazers in the 2008 NBA Draft.
