Eric Gordon
The last member of the Houston Rockets’ championship contending teams is Eric Gordon, but the veteran shooting guard could be on the move at the trade deadline this season.
Rumors about Godon’s trade availability have been swirling since the 2021 NBA Draft, where the Rockets looked to move him for another first-round draft pick. After playing in just 27 games last season due to a groin injury, there was concern about how Eric Gordon would look with this young Rockets squad this season, but he has exceeded expectations.
In 38 games this year, Gordon has been one of the best scorers on the Houston Rockets, averaging 14.9 points and shooting 50.5% from the floor, 45.5% from three-point range. His three-point shooting percentage currently ranks second in the league and his 3.3 assists per game are the most for Gordon since the 2014-15 season.
Being an active scorer on the perimeter and also being able to create plays for others, Eric Gordon has turned himself into a valuable, experienced veteran on the trade block.
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The problem with trading for Eric Gordon though is his contract size. Gordon is making $18.2M this season, $19.6M next season and then the final year of his contract is non-guaranteed for $20.9M through the 2023-24 season.
Not many teams in the league can absorb this kind of contract at midseason, but Gordon has certainly proved his value and could make a big impact for an injury-riddled, young team like the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Both Collin Sexton and Ricky Rubio are out for the season because of knee injuries, which has left a scoring hole in the Cavaliers’ backcourt. Darius Garland has been fantastic and is playing like an All-Star, but Cleveland could really use another experienced player as they look to make the playoffs for the first-time without LeBron James since 1998.
According to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto, Houston is seeking a first-round pick in trade talks for Eric Gordon and several playoff-caliber teams have inquired about him in trade talks. One of those teams could certainly be the Cavaliers, but the Rockets may not want to trade their veteran wing.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Five Key Predictions Ahead Of The NBA Trade Deadline
From the latest “Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective” podcast, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon stated that he does not believe the Rockets are “eager” to trade Eric Gordon and he also said that the Rockets would need to “feel like they’re getting value in return” in order to trade him.
Having a career-year shooting the basketball, Gordon’s value to a team is definitely up from where it was last season, but his contract still remains a roadblock in trade talks for him.
