Halo

The New Orleans Pelicans are reportedly looking to unload Omer Asik's contract in a trade package, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical.

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Asik Reportedly Not Part of Potential 76ers Deal

Monday, Feb. 6

Wojnarowski clarified that Asik wouldn't be part of a previously explored deal with the Philadelphia 76ers. Sam Amick of USA Today reported Monday that "the Pelicans are in serious trade talks with the Philadelphia 76ers to acquire second-year big man Jahlil Okafor."

Wojnarowski also noted the Pelicans have been "engaged on several fronts to land a center" and said one possible avenue is landing Brooklyn Nets big man Brook Lopez.

Asik ties in because Wojnarowski wrote the team has two goals in these potential deals for big men—unloading Asik's contract and trading its 2018 first-round pick instead of the 2017 one because of the upcoming "loaded draft."

Amick pointed out New Orleans general manager Dell Demps "faces increasing pressure and is well aware" that the team needs additional help around big man Anthony Davis if it is ever going to develop into a legitimate contender during the 23-year-old's prime.

The Pelicans are 19-32 this season and riding a four-game losing streak. However, the weakness in the Western Conference outside of the top seven teams has left the No. 8 spot in the playoff race wide open. Despite the abysmal start to the 2016-17 season, the Pelicans are just 3.5 games behind the 22-28 Denver Nuggets.

The 30-year-old Asik has done little to help New Orleans' chances in that race outside of some rebounding. In his latest game action, he played four minutes in a Jan. 25 loss to Oklahoma City Thunder, and he is averaging 2.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and 15.9 minutes per night in 30 contests.

That production is far from what Asik contributed in his prime with the Houston Rockets when he started all 82 games in the 2012-13 season and averaged 10.1 points and 11.7 rebounds per game. His numbers have gone downhill every season in New Orleans:

Asik is not an unrestricted free agent until 2020 and has a cap hit of $10,595,505 in 2017-18, $11,286,516 in 2018-19 and $11,977,527 in 2019-20, per Spotrac.

Ideally for New Orleans, getting rid of that contract would help open up more resources to bolster the roster around Davis.

Read more New Orleans Pelicans news on BleacherReport.com



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