Omer Asik (knee) will play against the Bucks on Saturday night.

He's been out since Dec. 2 with his leg issue and it's unclear how many minutes he'll see. Dwight Howard and Terrence Jones haven't done anything wrong to lose minutes, so there might not be many minutes for Asik in his return tonight. He can be left on the wire in most leagues.

Omer Asik (knee) is expected to play against the Bucks on Saturday night.

He hasn't played since Dec. 2 due primarily to his knee issue and should be good to go as long as he doesn't have any setbacks. The Rockets have not missed Asik whatsoever with Terrence Jones having a breakout season, so he might not even be able to match his 18.3 minutes-per-game average on the season. He can be left on the wire in almost all leagues.

Omer Asik said that his knee is nearly 100 percent healthy and he'll return to action once he regains his conditioning.

Kevin McHale expects him to return "sooner rather than later" and we could see him on the court within a week. Unfortunately, his real-world value far exceeds his fantasy appeal as long as Dwight Howard is healthy.

Coach Kevin McHale said he's hoping that Omer Asik (knee) can get in some 5-on-5 work during practice on Thursday or Friday.

He is targeting a return to the lineup in 7-10 days, which is just in time to get him some run before the trade deadline. Even though a trade would help Asik's fantasy value, he doesn't do enough outside of boards and blocks to be considered as a strong stash in most formats.

Omer Asik (knee, thigh) went through Wednesday's shootaround and could be cleared to play in the next 7-10 days.

His teammates were raving about what he'll bring to the team, and his defensive impact off the bench gives Houston's playoff outlook a nice boost, but fantasy owners shouldn't be rushing to claim him off the waiver wire. In 17 games earlier this season, Asik averaged a mere 4.4 points, 6.8 rebounds and 0.4 blocks per game.

Omer Asik (knee, thigh) began doing "active rehab" this week, though he remains without a return date.

It's possible that Asik will begin practicing on a limited basis in the next week or so, but he hasn't played since Dec. 2 and fantasy owners expectations should remain low whether or not he's traded before the Feb. 20 deadline. Last week GM Daryl Morey suggested that Asik will remain with Houston through the end of the 2014-15 season because no team offered sufficient value for him in trade talks, so Asik is likely stuck in a backup role behind Dwight Howard.

Daryl Morey told a group of season-ticket holders on Friday that he expects Omer Asik (thigh, knee) to stay with the Rockets until his contract expires after the 2014-15 season.

"We pushed to trade Omer in December," Morey said. "Obviously, he'd prefer to be a starter ... At this point, Omer is very likely going to be here until the end of his contract at the end of next season, not this season. The window to trade him was [in December], and teams weren't aggressive enough to get him, so we're excited about him being a part of our future." Asik remains out with vague thigh and knee injuries, and a backup role behind Dwight Howard means he wouldn't be a fantasy asset even if he were healthy.

Omer Asik (knee) was seen taking shots after practice.

Asik has been out since December 2nd with thigh and knee issues, so it's nice to see him return to the court in some manner. The disgruntled big man was only averaging 4.4 points and 6.8 rebounds per game in his backup role before his injury, so he's not a very appealing option even when healthy.

Omer Asik (knee, thigh) may be targeting a return in late January, according to beat writer Jonathan Feigen.

This is the closest thing to a timetable that we've heard, but there are no guarantees that Asik will be playing before February. The Rockets seem resigned to keeping their unhappy big man through the trade deadline, and hopefully he'll accept his backup role once his knee and thigh heal enough for him to return.

Omer Asik (knee) has been dealing with persistent swelling in his leg.

"I'm just trying to get back on the court and get healthy," Asik said. "I feel much better. I never had pain. It was just the swelling." He added an MRI didn't show anything serious and he will not be talking about being traded. Asik is not worth owning in most leagues based on his low upside.

The Rockets now expect to keep Omer Asik (knee, thigh) past the trade deadline, according to CBS Sports.

It's not a surprise with teams not ready to commit to the asking price of general manager Daryl Morey. Asik has been out due to a knee injury and there has really been no timetable for his return. If the Rockets do indeed keep him, it would help Terrence Jones' value. Fantasy owners can leave Asik on the wire in most leagues.

Omer Asik (thigh/knee) remains sidelined.

The Rockets aren't giving any concrete updates on their disgruntled backup center who hasn't played since Dec. 2. Perhaps they'll try to showcase Asik a little ahead of the Feb. 20 trade deadline.

Omer Asik (knee) worked out on Thursday but he did not practice.

As of late December the Rockets weren't sure why Asik's knee has persistent swelling, but an MRI came back negative and it's likely the team is just being extra cautious with their 7'0" trade chip.

Omer Asik (knee) did not make the trip to Oklahoma City for Sunday's game.

He is out indefinitely with his bum knee and the Rockets are in no rush to play him. There's no reason to play him at less than 100 percent because they wouldn't want him to aggravate anything before trading him. There really is no upside to stashing him in most formats with his inept offensive game, even if he winds up on a team like the Hawks.

The Houston Rockets are unsure why Omer Asik (knee) has been unable to make improvement on his injury.

Asik has been able to increase his workouts, but experiences swelling every time he ramps up his activity. An MRI last week showed no damage, but the Rockets are going to have another expert look at the results. "He had some swelling again in his knee," McHale said. "It seems like he amps it up to a certain level and it swells up again. His symptoms are not going the way the doctors think they should be." While this sounds like a mystery for Sherlock Holmes, fantasy owners can feel free to use a roster spot on someone else besides Asik.

Omer Asik (knee, thigh) won't play any time soon, according to Kevin McHale.

It remains unclear as to whether this news is related to Asik's injuries or his desire to be traded, but it is clear that his fantasy owners can feel free to drop the big man. Asik could be a valuable source of blocks and rebounds if he is traded to a new team and is healthy, but it's just not worth using a roster spot on the disgruntled center at the moment.

Omer Asik (thigh, knee) will not play against the Mavericks on Monday.

He had a doctor look at his knee over the weekend and doesn't have a timetable to return. The Rockets aren't going to be looking to bring him back at less than 100 percent, so he could be out for the foreseeable future. His upside in fantasy isn't high enough to stash him in most formats.

The Nets and Rockets discussed sending Omer Asik and Jeremy Lin to Brooklyn in exchange for Deron Williams.

Omer Asik left Thursday's practice "to go see a doctor for his knee."

Asik has been out indefinitely with a phantom thigh injury while the Rockets pursue trade options, but as of Thursday those talks have been put on hold. Whether or not he's actually injured (we doubt it), he's not a part of Houston's rotation and belongs on the waiver wire with no clear trade in sight.

Omer Asik (thigh) will remain a Rocket for the foreseeable future as the Rockets have ended trade talks as of Thursday morning.

Asik had been rumored to be headed to Boston or Philadelphia, but he doesn't need to start packing his bags just yet. Asik would be an interesting pickup if traded, but his value is almost nill in Houston and owners can feel free to use a roster spot on someone else. We'll be updating this fluid situation as soon as we hear more, but it seems as if Asik will remain in Houston...for now.