Why This Trade Makes Sense For The Houston Rockets
One of the biggest reasons why trading Eric Gordon for Gary Harris makes sense is because the Rockets have made it clear they want to get younger as a franchise. A year ago when they signed Gordon to his contract extension, they had envisioned a future with James Harden leading them to the playoffs and potentially the NBA Finals, but with that completely out of the picture now, the best thing for them to do is to move on from some of their longer, more expensive contracts.
Eric Gordon is 32-years old and does not offer much to the Rockets anymore, which is why trading him for a younger guard like Gary Harris makes a ton of sense. Harris is a really solid role player and has proven to be a highly skilled perimeter shooter, but he has not been able to stay on the court over the years due to injuries.
Next year, Gary Harris will be in the final year of his contract, giving the Rockets plenty of leverage when it comes to him being with the franchise long-term. They could use the next year-and-a-half to basically “test” him and see if he could fit into their long-term plans and if he does not perform well, then they can simply let him become a free agent, allowing them to cash in on roughly $19M in cap space.
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The Rockets also receive a protected 2022 first-round pick from Denver that should convey over since the Nuggets have been a playoff team the last two seasons and should once again make it this year.
The best thing the Rockets can do as an organization is move on from some of their veteran players and try to acquire young talents and draft picks, which is what this trade allows them to do. Gary Harris could be a great fit next to John Wall in the backcourt and with plenty of first-round picks over the years, the Rockets could quickly rebuild themselves back into a legit playoff team in the Western Conference.
