Eric Gordon Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Rockets Notes: Porter, Gordon, Christopher, Garuba

July 10th, 2022 at 3:50pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr. has engaged in early contract extension discussions with Houston, according to a conversation between ESPN’s Zach Lowe and Tim MacMahon on Lowe’s podcast The Lowe Post.

“I’ve heard there have been some very, very, very, very, very, very, very preliminary talks about talking at some point in the future, but some openness to a deal there,” Lowe said (h/t to HoopsHype for the transcription).

“I think there are mixed opinions internally,” MacMahon respond. “And, you know, frankly, externally the opinion I get most often is the Rockets should not give him an extension.”

Since being drafted with the No. 30 pick out of USC in 2019, Porter has had a solid statistical NBA career but has faced questions about his off-court behavior. He spent his rookie year with the Cavaliers before being offloaded to the Rockets in January 2021 following a locker room outburst. During the 2021/22 season, Porter averaged 15.6 PPG, 6.2 APG, 4.4 RPG and 1.1 SPG across 61 games (allstarts) for the Rockets.

There’s more out of Houston:

Elsewhere on the same Lowe Post podcast, Lowe and McMahon said they consider veteran Rockets guard Eric Gordon a “lock” to be dealt away from the team. McMahon suggested that Gordon could fetch a first-round pick in a deal. The 33-year-old was a key contributor to several contending Rockets teams led by James Harden, earning Sixth Man of the Year honors in 2016/17. He averaged 13.4 PPG, 2.7 APG, and 2.0 RPG across 57 games during the 2021/22 season for a rebuilding Rockets team that appears poised to prioritize a youth movement for the foreseeable future.
Second-year Rockets guard Josh Christopher has been exhibiting leadership and growth during his 2022 Summer League stint, writes Kelly Iko of The Athletic. Head coach Stephen Silas has been hopeful that the 20-year-old, selected with the No. 24 pick out of Arizona State in 2021, would develop defensively, particularly on rotations and as a rim protector. Iko notes that Christopher has thus far displayed improvement in those departments in Summer League. “I’ve been in the gym working, so to be able to come back to Vegas and play ball again, it’s nostalgic almost,” the 6’3″ guard said of his return to Summer League. “It’s good to be on the floor.”
Second-year Rockets big man Usman Garuba has suffered a Grade 2 left ankle sprain that will sideline him for all of Summer League, per Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. Feigen notes that various injuries and time spent in the league’s COVID-19 health and safety protocols limited Garuba’s on-court role with the Rockets during his rookie season. The 20-year-old was drafted with the No. 23 pick in 2021 following a successful four-year stint with Real Madrid.

Lakers Rumors: Irving, Hield, Gordon, Turner, LeBron

July 9th, 2022 at 10:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Lakers continue to focus on Kyrie Irving, but it’s unlikely that the Nets will give him up without at least one first-round pick in return, Marc Stein writes in his latest column for Substack. Irving was in L.A. this week to watch the WNBA’s Sparks, which Stein characterizes as making “his current presence in Los Angeles loudly known.”

Although Irving would clearly like to reunite with former teammate LeBron James, Stein says the Lakers aren’t making any promises behind the scenes. General manager Rob Pelinka said in a TV interview Friday that he’s still working to upgrade the roster, but league rules prevent him from speaking specifically about a possible deal for Irving.

The Lakers’ concerns about overspending could be a major obstacle to getting a trade done, Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated explained on Ryen Rusillo’s podcast (hat tip to Eric Eulau of SI’s Lakers page). Although they’re among the highest-valued teams in the NBA, Mannix calls the Lakers “a mom-and-pop organization masquerading as a multi-billion dollar franchise” and says they’re reluctant to assume all the costs that would be necessary to convince Brooklyn to make a deal.

“There’s not a huge appetite in L.A. at this point to take on all the money they’re going to have to take on to be a deeper-into-the-luxury-tax team and fork over a first-round pick in return,” Mannix said. “As long as that is the asking price, the Lakers are not going to get their hands on Kyrie Irving.”

There’s more from Los Angeles:

Pelinka’s next priority will be to find more shooters, Stein adds in the same piece. The Lakers have been linked to the Pacers‘ Buddy Hield and the Rockets‘ Eric Gordon, who were both clients of Pelinka when he was an agent.
A source tells Stein that L.A. probably doesn’t have enough assets to get both Hield and Myles Turner from Indiana. Reports have described them as “prime targets” if the Lakers can’t put together a deal for Irving.
Pelinka’s willingness to meet Brooklyn’s price for Irving could be influenced by James’ upcoming extension date, Stein adds. Starting August 4, James will be eligible to sign a two-year extension worth about $100MM, and Stein suggests that Pelinka might want to have a major deal in place by then to ensure that his star player is happy.

Rockets Notes: Frontcourt, Tate, Gordon, Martin

July 7th, 2022 at 2:20pm CST by Luke Adams

Whether or not they hang onto Boban Marjanovic, the Rockets would like to add one more big man to their roster, according to Kelly Iko of The Athletic, who says the club may use a two-way contract slot to add more depth up front. Trevor Hudgins currently occupies one of Houston’s two-way slots, but the other is empty.

Iko names Moses Brown, Freddie Gillespie, Bruno Fernando, and Mfiondu Kabengele as players who could be of interest to the Rockets as they look to add another frontcourt player.

According to Iko, Houston had some interest in Isaiah Roby after he was waived by Oklahoma City, but the Spurs ultimately claimed him off waivers. The Rockets were ahead of San Antonio in the waiver order and had a trade exception available to claim Roby, but they already have 18 players on guaranteed contracts for 15 spots, so they likely weren’t eager to bring in another.

Here’s more on the Rockets:

The $500K annual bonus in Jae’Sean Tate‘s new three-year contract are tied to the Rockets winning at least 35 games, Iko reports. So Tate would earn an extra $1.5MM if Houston wins 35 or more games in each of the next three seasons.
The Rockets were close to trading Eric Gordon on draft night, possibly to the Sixers, but the deal fell apart, according to Iko, who says the Heat, Bucks, and Suns also pursued Gordon before the draft. Sources tell The Athletic that Philadelphia re-engaged Houston on the veteran shooting guard at the start of free agency, but there’s certainly no guarantee he’ll be moved before the season begins.
The Rockets aren’t in any rush to trade Kenyon Martin Jr. either, says Iko, noting that Martin may “need to mend some internal relationships” if a trade doesn’t materialize and he remains in Houston.

Pacific Notes: Ayton, Lundberg, Lakers, Wiseman

July 6th, 2022 at 6:58pm CST by Arthur Hill

The market for Suns center Deandre Ayton has slowed in the wake of Kevin Durant‘s trade request, but ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski expects it to pick up soon. Appearing on “NBA Today” (video link), Wojnarowski said Durant’s availability affects the few teams with remaining cap room as well as teams that might be considering a sign-and-trade deal for Ayton.

He added that the “worst-case scenario” for Phoenix is that somebody will give Ayton a maximum offer sheet, which the Suns will have to decide whether or not to match. If Ayton’s offer is matched, it will be a full year before he’s eligible to be traded again.

Phoenix, of course, is one of the teams Durant reportedly wants to join, and the details of an Ayton trade could affect what the Suns can offer to the Nets. Wojnarowski said the Durant situation has “complicated the timing” of Ayton’s free agency process.

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

Gabriel Lundberg, who ended the season on a two-way contract, returned to Denmark rather than play in Summer League because the Suns wouldn’t offer him any guarantees, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. “I didn’t want to risk playing in the Summer League without having some kind of security,” said Lundberg, who appeared in four games after joining the team in March. “They didn’t want to give me that, so I went home. I can’t risk getting injured without having a deal. My family depends on me to provide for them.” Lundberg hasn’t signed a new contract overseas yet, but said he has received multiple offers.
As the Lakers discuss a potential Kyrie Irving trade with the Nets, they’ve also checked on Rockets guard Eric Gordon and Pacers guard Buddy Hield, Wojnarowski said on “NBA Today” (Twitter link). Both are former clients of general manager Rob Pelinka, and L.A. came close to trading for Hield last summer before deciding to pursue Russell Westbrook.
Warriors center James Wiseman isn’t expected to play in Friday’s game, but the team plans to use him at some point during Las Vegas Summer League, tweets Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Wiseman, who missed the entire season due to right knee issues, participated in a 5-on-5 scrimmage Tuesday. Jonathan Kuminga joined the team today and is also expected to see some game action (Twitter link).

Rockets Rumors: Draft, Gordon, Wall, Martin

June 27th, 2022 at 4:05pm CST by Luke Adams

The Rockets mulled the idea of trying to trade up from No. 3 in last Thursday’s draft, but given that the draft class featured three prospects (Jabari Smith, Paolo Banchero, and Chet Holmgren) considered top-tier options, they didn’t feel the need to give up the assets necessary to move up a spot or two, general manager Rafael Stone tells Kelly Iko of The Athletic.

“We thought about it a lot,” Stone said. “But it wasn’t clear who we’d be moving up to. You think about moving up in every spot of the draft. You always think about that, that’s part of the job. But one of the nice things — and we knew on lottery night — was that we were going to get somebody that we thought could be part of our organization for a long time and really help us take the next step in this process we’re trying to build.

“That doesn’t mean you foreclose conversations; you talk to everybody about everything, but we always felt comfortable picking where we were picking and were really excited.”

Here are several more Rockets-related notes and rumors from Iko:

The Rockets received calls when they were on the clock at No. 17 from teams looking to acquire the pick and would have been more inclined to entertain those offers if Tari Eason hadn’t been on the board, according to Iko.
Iko describes trade interest in Eric Gordon as having gotten more “fervent” within the last couple weeks and notes that teams were making offers during last week’s draft that included 2022 picks. The Sixers were one of the clubs that made a proposal, but the Rockets continue to value Gordon more highly than the packages they’ve been offered and aren’t desperate to move him, Iko writes.
Like Marc Stein, Iko has heard that the Rockets and John Wall may finally be gaining momentum toward a divorce, with a buyout considered more likely than a trade. The two sides are expected to meet this week, and Wall is hoping to come to a resolution by the start of free agency on Thursday, sources tell The Athletic.
The Trail Blazers and Nets are among the teams that have inquired on Kenyon Martin Jr., who reportedly wouldn’t be opposed to a trade.

Texas Notes: Murray, Spurs, Wall, Gordon, Eason

June 26th, 2022 at 3:08pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Spurs drafted three high-upside 19-year-olds on Thursday, with the hopes that one or more of their new prospects can help All-Star point guard Dejounte Murray reach new heights on the court — or perhaps replace him as the next face of the franchise, writes Mike Finger of the San Antonio Express-News.

San Antonio is hopeful that pesky ex-Baylor center Jeremy Sochan, selected with the ninth pick in the draft, sharpshooting wing Malaki Branham, and defensive-oriented guard Blake Wesley will all develop into solid contributors.

Given the fact that Murray is now an All-Star talent on a desirable below-market contract, Finger notes that the Spurs may be wary of giving the 25-year-old point guard a maximum contract extension that would pay in the neighborhood of $40MM annually. If the team decides Murray isn’t capable of being the best player on a title team, it may still look to move him for a solid haul and hope that one of the new players in this rebuild can become the team’s next All-Star.

There’s more out of the Lone Star State:

The Spurs‘ front office is satisfied with its latest draft picks, per Tom Osborn of the San Antonio Express-News. “We approach every draft trying to find the best available talent,” Spurs general manager Brian Wright said. “We walked away from this one feeling pretty good about what we ended up with. We had all three guys with draft grades inside of [the top] 20.” Osborn notes that the 6’8″ Sochan, a versatile defender honored as the 2022 Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year, was drafted with the highest pick the Spurs have used since 1997. “As you see now, teams playing smaller and guys being able to guard multiple positions, do different things on the floor,” Wright said. “We think he complements the group really well. He’s a connector, right? He connects you on both ends of the floor.”
After the Rockets enjoyed a robust draft last week, adding three intriguing youngsters in the first round, the team is set to turn its attention to the futures of veteran guards John Wall and Eric Gordon, writes Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. Both players could be in the final season of their lucrative contracts: Wall’s deal expires in the summer of 2023, and Gordon has a non-guaranteed $20.9MM team option for the 2023/24 season. Feigen says that Gordon’s defensive skills may make him a solid trade target for contenders, but cautions that teams may temper their trade package offers given that Houston will be hoping to offload him for whatever offer they can finagle.
Though new Rockets forward Tari Eason, selected with the No. 17 pick out of LSU, did not even start in college, he is confident he can excel in Houston, writes Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle. A speedy, defensively-oriented 6’8″ forward with a 7’2″ wingspan, Eason noted that his emergence as something of a late-blooming prospect helped fuel him. “I’ve always had a pretty good defensive mindset just from my competitive nature from high school, even before then,” Eason said. “I wasn’t heavily recruited so I always carried that chip on my shoulder and that real edge that has helped me carry through.” Eason was not without some pedigree by the time he finished his NCAA tenure: he was voted the 2022 SEC Sixth Man of the Year and made the 2022 All-SEC First Team.

Sixers Pursuing Eric Gordon, Talking To Blazers About Thybulle

June 23rd, 2022 at 6:08pm CST by Luke Adams

The Sixers are making an effort to acquire guard Eric Gordon from the Rockets, league sources tell Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link).

As Pompey outlines, the 76ers are dangling defensive standout Matisse Thybulle in their talks for Gordon and are looking to involve a third team. According to Pompey, the Trail Blazers have interest in making a straight-up trade for Thybulle, but Philadelphia wants to turn it into a three-team deal in order to land Gordon (Twitter link).

There are some missing details here, including which other players the Sixers would send out in such a trade — even fully guaranteeing Danny Green‘s $10MM contract for 2022/23 and attaching him to Thybulle wouldn’t quite get the team into salary-matching range for Gordon, who will earn $19.6MM next season. But presumably the 76ers’ thinking is that if there’s a team willing to give up a first-round pick for Thybulle, that selection could be rerouted to Houston for Gordon.

The Sixers’ interest in Gordon was first reported by ESPN’s Brian Windhorst earlier this week. Gordon and P.J. Tucker have been the targets most frequently linked to Philadelphia in recent days, which perhaps shouldn’t come as a surprise, given that both veterans played key roles on Daryl Morey‘s most successful squads in Houston.

If they can land Gordon, the Sixers would secure a solid outside shooter and ball-handler who can hold his own and handle switches on defense. The Suns are among the other teams said to have interest in the 33-year-old.

The Blazers, meanwhile, are known to be in the market for strong wing defenders, even after agreeing to acquire Jerami Grant from Detroit. Portland has been connected to players like OG Anunoby and Luguentz Dort, but the asking price for Thybulle would likely be more reasonable.

Rockets Notes: Rebuilding, Porter, Gordon, Beauchamp

June 23rd, 2022 at 3:03pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Rockets own three first-round picks in tonight’s draft, which marks the latest step in a rebuilding project that began when James Harden was traded 17 months ago, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPN. Instead of seeking immediate contributors in the Harden deal, Houston opted for a package from the Nets that was heavy on draft picks, including the 17th selection this year.

Another reported option was an offer from Philadelphia centered around Ben Simmons, but the Rockets’ front office decided Simmons wasn’t a player they wanted to build around. Instead, they made what Patrick Fertitta, son of owner Tilman Fertitta, calls a “hard and, at the time, very unpopular decision” to undergo a complete rebuild.

“There wasn’t an equally attractive alternative at the time,” general manager Rafael Stone said. “Not even close from our perspective. I am a big believer in going all-in. Whether it is to go all-in to rebuild or all-in to win a championship.”

There’s more from Houston:

The Rockets are sold on Jalen Green as the centerpiece of their future, but there are concerns around the league that backcourt partner Kevin Porter Jr. may not be reliable enough for a long-term commitment, MacMahon states in the same story. Porter, who is eligible for a rookie-scale extension this summer, improved as a defender and three-point shooter last season, but there are questions about whether he should be the starting point guard or a sixth man. “He is not a finished product,” Stone says. “He just turned 22. He needs to grow and improve, on and off the court, but we are excited about him and his trajectory.”
Houston is also facing a decision on Eric Gordon, the last veteran remaining from the Harden era, MacMahon adds. The 33-year-old guard could be moved if the Rockets get a first-round pick in return, but the front office likes having him around to mentor the young players. “It’s a tough situation,” Gordon said. “When you’re doing a rebuild, it’s a long-term type thing. Guys have to know that this is a long-term plan. If it’s a long-term plan for these young guys, then I have to know there’s a long-term plan for me, too.”
MarJon Beauchamp remembers when the Rockets were the only team to send a scout to watch him play at Yakima Valley College, per Kelly Iko of The Athletic. Beauchamp worked out for Houston a few weeks ago and appears to be a candidate to be selected at No. 17 or 26.

Sixers, Suns Pursuing Rockets’ Eric Gordon?

June 21st, 2022 at 5:24pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Sixers and Suns are two of the teams interested in a trade with the Rockets for veteran guard Eric Gordon, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.

Gordon, who averaged 13.4 PPG and shot 41.2% from 3-point range this past season, will make $19.57MM next season and has another non-guaranteed season left on his contract after that. Gordon could provide a perimeter boost to either playoff contender and would reunite with former Rockets teammate Chris Paul if he winds up in Phoenix.

Windhorst and Zach Lowe offered a number of interesting nuggets on ESPN’s NBA Today (video link):

The Sixers also have interest in veteran forward P.J. Tucker, who is opting out of the final year of his contract with the Heat.
The Hawks are looking at “five or six potential deals,” according to Windhorst, with everyone but Trae Young and possibly De’Andre Hunter in play. They could part with the No. 16 pick in certain scenarios.
The Hornets aren’t expected to hold onto both of their first-round picks at No. 13 and No. 15 and might even move both of them, along with a big salary, as they try to clear cap space to re-sign restricted free agent Miles Bridges. Charlotte could also be angling for the Pacers’ Myles Turner, according to Lowe.
The Grizzlies, with two picks late in the first round, are looking to clear a backcourt logjam and could move up or down the draft board as they try to maximize their trade chips. De’Anthony Melton, in particular, has drawn “a lot” of interest around the NBA, says Lowe.

Rockets/Mavs Rumors: Gordon, Schröder, Wood Trade, Pinson

June 15th, 2022 at 11:23pm CST by Rory Maher

The Rockets held firm in their asking price of a first-round pick in exchange for Christian Wood and landed the 26th selection after agreeing to a trade with the Mavericks, according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report (Twitter link). Sources tell Fischer that Houston’s asking price remains the same for Eric Gordon, with the team seeking yet another first-rounder.

Gordon was productive for the rebuilding club in 2021/22, averaging 13.4 points, 2.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists on .475/.412/.778 shooting in 57 games, including 46 starts (29.3 minutes). Although his points per game were tied for a career-low, the veteran shooting guard posted a career-best true shooting percentage of 61.4%.

The 33-year-old is essentially on an expiring $19.57MM contract in ’22/23, as his $20.92MM figure for ’23/24 is non-guaranteed.

Here’s more on the Rockets and Mavs:

As Keith Smith of Spotrac observes (via Twitter), if the Rockets keep all of their first round picks (third, 17th and 26th), they’ll have 19 players on guaranteed contracts for ’22/23, so Houston will have to make additional moves to get down to 15 prior to next season. Smith also notes that Dennis Schröder and Bruno Fernando are likely out of the picture due to the roster crunch. While this is an assumption on Smith’s part and not a report, his logic certainly makes sense, as neither player figures to be in the team’s long-term plans. Schröder is an unrestricted free agent this summer, while Fernando could be restricted if Houston tenders him a $2.2MM qualifying offer, which seems very unlikely at this point.
In his video breakdown of the trade, Bobby Marks of ESPN says the Rockets will generate a $4MM trade exception as part of the deal. Zach Harper of The Athletic grades the swap, giving the Mavs a B-plus and the Rockets a B.
Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle says (via Twitter) that Wood’s character concerns are overblown, calling him a “stand-up guy in an unbelievably tough two-season stretch.” Feigen believes Wood will “flourish” in Dallas.
The timing of the trade was interesting, per Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Twitter link), who notes that Paolo Banchero worked out for the Rockets earlier in the day and then the team decided to trade a starting big man in Wood. Banchero is widely projected to go third overall to Houston.
The four-for-one swap creates an unexpected amount of roster room for the Mavs, and league sources tell Marc Stein (via Twitter) that Theo Pinson is “strongly expected” to be re-signed on a standard deal. Pinson was viewed as the unofficial ring leader of the Mavs’ bench mob that earned the team $175K in fines during the playoffs due to its “bench decorum” violations. Stein reported a few weeks ago that Dallas wanted to retain Pinson, who is no longer eligible for a two-way contract after obtaining four years of NBA experience.
One of Dallas’ top priorities entering free agency is acquiring a wing capable of receiving rotation minutes in the playoffs, tweets Tim MacMahon of ESPN. The Mavs will be a luxury tax team in ’22/23, so their main tool to sign a free agent will be the taxpayer mid-level exception, which is projected to be worth $6,392,000.