NBA Trade Rumors: 10 players that could be dealt by the 2022 deadline

Philadelphia 76ers Ben Simmons (Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports)
Philadelphia 76ers Ben Simmons (Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
9 of 10
Next
Houston Rockets
Houston Rockets Eric Gordon (Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports) /

9. Eric Gordon

Since they traded away James Harden, the Houston Rockets have been one of the worst teams in the league. Currently, the Rockets have the third-worst record in the league, ahead of only the Detroit Pistons and the Orlando Magic.

The Rockets’ focus should be on developing their young players like Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, and Kevin Porter Jr. and planning for the future by getting assets. One way they can get some valuable assets is by trading away their veteran players that still hold some value. John Wall, Eric Gordon, Daniel Theis, DJ Augustin, and even Christian Wood are all players the Rockets could look to move before the deadline.

As it pertains to Gordon, he’s 33 years old playing for one of the worst teams in the league. As is the case with the previously mentioned Thaddeus Young, Gordon does not want to play for a rebuilding franchise at this point in his career. With that being said, earlier this season the Rockets went on a seven-game winning streak with Gordon playing a key role during that stretch. Houston certainly values Gordon’s veteran presence and what he’s meant to the younger players on the team. So Houston is not going to rush into making a deal.

According to Johnathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle:

"“there has not seemed a pressing inclination to move the next-highest paid veterans on the roster, Eric Gordan and Christian Wood. As was the case last summer, Gordon’s value seems greater to the Rockets on the floor than in whatever return he would draw in a trade.”"

With that being said, the odds favor a deal getting done. Gordon is currently shooting an impressive 44.7 percent from behind the arc and is still one of the EBAY perimeter defenders in the league. Gordon’s value will never be as high as it is right now. The Rockets would be silly not to try and deal Gordon to plan for their future.