The Dallas Mavericks and the Portland Trail Blazers are reportedly in a tug of war to add defensive big man Omer Asik of the Houston Rockets via trade, a reliable league source disclosed over the weekend.

The Mavericks, whose owner Mark Cuban heavily criticized Dwight Howard for not choosing to play in Dallas, have emerged among the likely landing spots for Asik, who has expressed his desire to be traded after getting limited playing time behind the All-Star center.

According to sources, the Mavericks are pushing to get a solid defensive presence down-low, and they believed Asik fits the role perfectly. Having a roster filled with veterans, the Mavs are reportedly willing to trade seasoned forward Shawn Marion and youngster Shawn Larkin for Asik, but the Rockets are demanding more assets for the Turkish center.

"Rumor today has Omer Asik coming to Dallas for Larkin, Marion. Rockets asking a lot more than that, reportedly. Rockets beat writer Bill Ingram reported on Saturday.

Portland Wants More D  

The Portland Trail Blazers have become the most surprising team early this season after amassing a 12-2 record through their first 14 games this year.

Despite their success as of late, the Blazers are still looking to fortify their defense by adding a strong anchor in the middle. Asik, who averaged 10.1 points, 11.7 rebounds and 1.1 blocks last season with the Rockets, can certainly infuse defense into a team loaded with explosive offensive talents such as LaMarcus Aldridge, Nicolas Batum and second-year point guard Damian Lillard.

One of the trade scenarios being proposed by the Blazers is sending Robin Lopez and maybe some draft picks, though the negotiation is very much vulnerable to collapse because Portland can't provide the stretch-four talent the Rockets have been craving.

"The Trail Blazers are off to one of their best starts in years, but they're not kidding themselves. They know they've taken advantage of a pillow-soft schedule and have surprised themselves with their shooting (46% entering Friday),"  the New York Daily News stated.