Eric Gordon, Christian Wood Remain With Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets began rebuilding last season after trading James Harden to the Brooklyn Nets and while they have one of the worst records in the league at 15-36, the future is definitely bright for this young group.
Jalen Green, Josh Christopher, Jae’Sean Tate, Kevin Porter Jr. and other young talents have shown flashes of their brilliance this season and at the top of the Rockets’ roster lies Eric Godon and Christian Wood.
Gordon and Wood are two players drawing a fair amount of trade interest leading up to the deadline this season and with a week left, the Rockets are still unsure about what to do with both players.
Now in his 14th season, Eric Gordon has averaged 14.3 points, 3.1 assists and has shot 42% from three-point range, which ranks 11th in the NBA this season. Being a steady, consistent scorer on the perimeter, as well as a strong and experienced defender, Eric Gordon is the exact kind of two-way perimeter player that playoff contending teams are looking for.
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The only problem with trading for Gordon is that he is guaranteed roughly $37.8M through next season and Houston is not just going to give away the 33-year-old veteran for nothing.
According to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, the Rockets are not “eager” to dump Eric Gordon to free up cap space ahead of the deadline this season and want to feel as if they are getting value in return for him.
This could very well mean that the Rockets are going to hold out on trading Gordon until they can receive a first-round pick or a high-level, young talent that they can build with as part of their young core.
As for Christian Wood, the Rockets signed him to a three-year, $41M deal ahead of last season and he quickly broke out onto the scene as their best overall talent. Since joining the Rockets, Wood has averaged 19.2 points, 10.0 rebounds, 1.0 blocks and has shot nearly 50% from the floor, 37.2% from three-point range.
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Standing 6’10” and being able to score from virtually anywhere on the floor, Christian Wood is exactly the kind of “modern day” big man that many teams do not have in their frontcourt. Wood has drawn interest from several playoff contending teams like that of Eric Gordon, but the Rockets are not eager to trade him either.
According to Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com, the Heat have shown interest in the Rockets’ big man and have brought up Duncan Robinson as a potential trade piece to acquire Wood, but it is hard to imagine that Miami will get this deal done.
Bam Adebayo is now healthy again and playing well for the Heat, plus Dewayne Dedmon and Omer Yurtseven have both played their roles to perfection in Miami this season.
Adding another big man, specifically at the power-forward position could really make the Heat better than they already are, but giving up Duncan Robinson is not something the Heat have shown much interest in over the years.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Latest News & Intel Leading Up To The Trade Deadline
Ultimately, the Rockets will receive offers for both Eric Gordon and Christian Wood leading up to the deadline, but it is hard to imagine them moving either player given the value they have put on them. Expect Houston to further their rebuild efforts via trades in the offseason.
