Does this trade make sense for the Rockets & Thunder?
Getting out of Eric Gordon’s contract is something the Houston Rockets are looking to do this season and as long as they are getting future value, they will be willing to make a deal.
Maybe Abdel Nader and Jalen Smith do not present too much value at the moment, but they are both affordable options that the Rockets would have long-term leverage over. If things do not work out with Smith, then they could simply let him become a free agent in the offseason and as for Nader, he has a team option for the 2022-23 season worth only $2.16M in total.
Houston would hold all the leverage over if they wanted to keep these two players past this season and they would also be adding a second-round draft pick in 2022. This pick would give them more ways to add young prospects to their roster, allowing the Rockets’ rebuild to continue uninterrupted.
Trading Gordon opens up the door for a lot of possibilities for the Rockets because of the cap room they would now have. Not only could they continue to add talent around Kevin Porter Jr., Jalen Green and Christian Wood, but they would have enough funds to now negotiate a new long-term deal with Wood.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Knicks Interested In Trade For Rockets’ Eric Gordon
The 26-year-old big man is set to become an unrestricted free agent following the conclusion of next season and he is expected to draw a ton of interest.
By moving Eric Gordon’s contract now, the Rockets can prepare themselves to match any offer Wood may get, allowing them to possibly retain him long-term when the time comes.
As for the Oklahoma City Thunder, they need to actually add some more contracts to their roster since they are under the salary cap floor for the season and they could use some more frontcourt help.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Knicks Interested In Trade For Rockets’ Eric Gordon
Maybe Dario Saric never plays in Oklahoma City and the Thunder either release him or trade him again, but they move a Top-55 protected second-round pick in 2025 for an unprotected second-round pick via Phoenix in 2026.
There is no risk for GM Sam Presti and the Thunder in this trade, hence why they would probably be happy to attach their names to this deal with Houston and Phoenix.
