The Rockets have had preliminary trade talks about veteran shooting guard Eric Gordon with approximately a half-dozen teams, a source tells Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle.
According to Feigen, a number of contenders are expected to target Gordon, given his ability to make outside shots and defend multiple positions. His pseudo-expiring contract, which is non-guaranteed for next season, should also be appealing to potential suitors.
However, Gordon’s cap hit of $19.6MM will make him a tricky piece to move, and the Rockets don’t feel any urgency to get a deal done, given that he remains under contract for 2023/24. Although the 33-year-old’s $20.9MM salary for next season isn’t cheap, Houston projects to have significant cap room and may decide that hanging onto Gordon is the best way to use of a chunk of that room.
The Rockets’ asking price for Gordon remains high, which will also complicate a potential trade. According to Feigen, Houston doesn’t just want a 2023 first-round pick from a contending team, since such a first-rounder would likely end up in the mid- to late-20s. The Rockets would be looking to add a pick in a future season or one from a third team that has a chance of landing higher in the first round, Feigen explains.
Acquiring a future pick may be a more realistic outcome, since three-team deals are complicated and Houston isn’t all that interested in adding a third 2023 first-rounder to its collection with so many young players already on the roster, says Feigen. The Rockets owe their own first-rounders to Oklahoma City in 2024 and 2026, so they may be more inclined to fortify their cache of draft assets in those years (though they do control Brooklyn’s ’24 and ’26 picks).
Here’s more on the Rockets:
- As Shams Charania reported earlier in the week, the Rockets’ asking price for Kenyon Martin Jr. is even higher than their price for Gordon. Feigen classifies Houston as “hesitant” to move Martin, since he’s enjoying a career year and still has room to grow at age 21. Feigen also observes that Martin’s contract would give the Rockets the option of declining his 2023/24 team option to sign him to a long-term contract as a restricted free agent — the club took that path with Jae’Sean Tate this past summer.
- The proposed three-team trade involving the Rockets, Suns, and Bucks that Charania mentioned on Monday didn’t get very far down the line. According to Feigen, it “never gained traction past the proposal stage or a second phone call.”
- Stephen Silas rejoined the Rockets for Tuesday’s game just three days after the death of his father Paul Silas and his emotions remained raw before and after his club’s upset win over Phoenix, Feigen writes in another Houston Chronicle story. “Definitely great to be back,” said Silas, who added that his father would have told him to “get his butt out there and coach” his team. “I love these guys. I love this team. I kind of didn’t want the game to end because now, real life starts up again.”
Stay strong Stephen. Losing a parent is always hard, no matter how old you are or how expected it was. Your players have your back.
Props to Monty Williams. After getting beat by Hou, Saw Silas was about to break down and pulled him in for a hug. We need more of this, his entire team showing love and pushing through for him. Even opposing players & staff are all behind him. It’s good to see.
Monty is one of the Classiest people on earth. He inspires me to be a better person.
Stephen Silas needs to GO he’s an awful coach
Read the room, man.
The only thing you can even base that on is that the Rockets are a losing team… while they are rebuilding. Only two players on the roster have more than three seasons of experience. They’re better than the Pistons and Magic and the Rockets started their rebuild later. Short-sighted much?
EG and KJ will be here next year. Possible but not likely anyone pays the high prices. Stone is fine keeping both. EG can fill that cap space. I hope they play him at his best and that is 6th man. KJ needs to start then Tari when ready. This team is thriving now from Silas development. They are where they should be on beating short handed teams, tail ends of back to back teams, bad playing or bottom teams. All the Silas haters can keep hating. The man developed Luka, Steph, Lebron and countless others. If when Rockets get to be contenders and Silas isn’t cutting the mustard then replace him. He is good for another 2 or 3 yr extension imo.
Exactly! It’s wild how uneducated rockets fans are when it comes to Silas. They are year two into a full blown rebuild with a bunch of 20 year olds. Most of these guys are having to learn how to be adults, learn how to deal with the nba grind and media, learn the playbook and how to play with each other, all while getting better. The fact that you can see the improvement in each player tells me that Silas is a good coach, he’s developing these guys, getting them all court time and time to play in different rotations so they get use to each other. No team is a playoff team at this stage. They need to stay the course, grow their core, and then spend the money to go get a guy when the timing is right. The 2024 season is a realistic goal to make the play in game/playoffs and then build from there. And most their stars will all still be under 24