Why JJ Redick sees Houston’s Eric Gordon as top NBA trade deadline target

“You’re looking for those ancillary pieces that are going to get you over the hump,” JJ Redick says of title contenders at the upcoming NBA trade deadline. “I think Eric Gordon is the guy.”

Recently retired sharpshooter JJ Redick sees Houston Rockets guard Eric Gordon as potentially the most impactful veteran available to title contenders at the NBA’s Feb. 10 trade deadline for the 2021-22 season.

Redick, who now offers NBA analysis for his “The Old Man and the Three” podcast and for ESPN, was asked on his podcast about impactful veterans who could be available to championship contenders. His answer:

There’s one guy in particular that always comes to mind, and it’s Eric Gordon. Despite some dysfunction and losing, he’s been an absolute pro this year in Houston. His numbers are good, his efficiency numbers are good. We know he can guard, we know he can space the floor. He can be a tertiary, or a secondary option on offense.

That’s what championship-level teams are looking for at the deadline, and Houston’s not going anywhere.

Look, trade deadlines rarely swing things in favor of a championship. It can happen, but you’re not looking for foundational building blocks, necessarily. You’re looking for those ancillary pieces that are going to get you over the hump. I think Eric Gordon is the guy.

Now 33 years old, Gordon is shooting a career-high 50.6% from the field this season and 45.2% on 3-pointers. His effective field-goal percentage (eFG) is 62.0%, and his true shooting (TS) percentage is 64.2%. All of those efficiency marks are the best of his 14-year NBA career.

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