NBA Trade Rumors 2014 Update: Houston Rockets Could Trade Omer Asik To Cleveland or Atlanta for Paul Millsap

The Houston Rockets will reportedly trade Omer Asik this week with reports saying that the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Atlanta Hawks are two of his most likely destinations.

NBA analyst David Aldridge reported that the Rockets will trade Asik either on Wednesday or Thursday, adding that the Cavaliers is a strong candidate for Asik's next destination via a trade involving hardworking power forward Anderson Varejao.

"Rockets will trade Asik next Wednesday or Thursday. And do not discount Cleveland/Varejao. Would be perfect fit next to Howard," Aldridge posted on his Twitter account.

ESPN also tossed out the same idea, reporting that the Rockets have shown interest in Varejao in the past few seasons.

However, the potential deal could be shelved if the Rockets remain firm on their stance of acquiring first round draft picks or future assets in any deal involving Asik.

"The Rockets have shown interest in Varejao in previous years, but one source close to the process indicates to ESPN.com that Houston would not be willing to deal Asik for Varejao straight up. It's believed that Houston would seek at least one more asset in the exchange if talks with the Cavs ever progress to a serious stage, presumably a future first-round pick. Which raises the question: Is Cleveland really willing to surrender that much for Asik -- and absorb Asik's $15 million salary for next season?" ESPN noted.

Aside from the Cavaliers, the Rockets are also reportedly interested in trading the 27-year-old center to the Atlanta Hawks for Paul Millsap, who could also stretch the floor for superstar center Dwight Howard. However, the Hawks look reluctant to give up Millsap, who just signed a two-year deal worth $19 million during the offseason.

"Many league insiders maintain that the Rockets' No. 1 target in an Asik deal is Hawks forward Paul Millsap, who will join more than 100 players who signed contracts in July in becoming trade-eligible Dec. 15, which happens to be Sunday. We caution, though, that gauging the Hawks' true willingness to part with Millsap -- after signing him to a two-year, $19 million deal that increasingly ranks as one of the league's best bargains -- remains a mystery thanks to ever-coy Hawks general manager Danny Ferry." ESPN added.

Previous rumors suggested that Asik could also be traded to the New Orleans Pelicans for Ryan Anderson or to the Milwaukee Bucks for Ersan Ilyasova, but USA Today reported that the Pelicans and the Bucks are no longer in the mix for Asik.