Though the Rockets are in a rebuild, it’s clear they see value — both on the court, and off — in veteran guard Eric Gordon. While he’s certainly available on the trade market for the right deal, Houston general manager Rafael Stone has made it clear through his actions that if teams do not meet his asking price, the Rockets will happily keep Gordon around.
Per NBA insider Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, that remains the case as the 2022 offseason enters the dog days of August.
On Friday, Scotto reported:
While Houston Rockets veteran guard Eric Gordon drew trade interest around the draft, there’s no urgency to trade him currently. Houston views Gordon as an asset on the court and a veteran mentor to the young core. His $19.5 million salary (for 2022-23) can be used as part of a large trade before the deadline, and his skill set as a shooter, playmaker, and defender remains attractive enough to playoff teams that he’s expected to retain a trade market for his services.
It’s worth noting that Gordon’s salary for the 2023-24 season is fully non-guaranteed at $20.9 million, effectively making it a team option. That could make Gordon desirable at the 2023 trade deadline because of the flexibility, with teams having multiple options over his future.
For now, it appears Stone and the Rockets are content to wait it out and see if the market improves to their valuation.
Sources: The Lakers, Knicks and Jazz discussed a three-team trade with Donovan Mitchell landing in New York, Patrick Beverley and another key Jazz player to the Lakers, Russell Westbrook on the move, and draft picks to Utah. More details on @hoopshype. https://t.co/AejGhQPKVK
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) August 5, 2022
