The NBA trade deadline (Feb. 9) is right around the corner. Plenty of names on the market will garner interest around the league.
One of those is Houston Rockets veteran Eric Gordon, who one has to assume will be moved before the deadline. The Rockets have a young team and are still looking to develop Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr. on the floor.
However, if Gordon isn’t moved by the deadline, there is a thought process the Rockets will use Gordon as part of their pitch to lure former star James Harden back to Houston.
ESPN’s Tim MacMahon reports:
It does feel like the Rockets have waited too long. They say that they’ve turned down multiple offers over the last few years that would have included a first-round pick. They valued him as a mentor for this young group. I think he’s made it pretty clear that he’s had his fill of that. Crazy as it sounds, the other factor here for the Rockets is their offseason plans, and some people that I’ve talked to down there in Houston have basically said, ‘Hey, there’s an understanding that James Harden really enjoys playing with Eric Gordon.’ So if the Rockets do not trade Eric Gordon, Woj has reported on the James Harden. I would say significant possibility. We’ve discussed that here on the show. I think there’s a very real chance that the Rockets would pick up Gordon, they still would have plenty of cap space to go get Harden on a max deal, but I think if they don’t trade them, it would be likely with the plan of bringing him back next season. Now having said that, I do think Gordon could help a lot of teams.
Tim says it feels like the #Rockets waited too long to trade Eric Gordon, but calls Harden to Houston a "significant" possibility. "Some people I've talked to in Houston say, 'Hey, there's an understanding that James Harden really enjoys playing with Eric Gordon.'" https://t.co/CyXHIwn9rb pic.twitter.com/DaWx1m7y7j
— ClutchFans (@clutchfans) January 18, 2023
The Sixers acquired Harden from the Brooklyn Nets at the 2022 deadline, but The Beard has spent the majority of his career with the Rockets where he established himself as a Hall of Fame guard. Harden lit the up the NBA world on a nightly basis with his elite scoring ability and he won the MVP award with the Rockets in 2018.
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