Neither the Los Angeles Lakers nor the Houston Rockets won a lot of games in the 2021-22 NBA season. That just happened to be a much bigger problem for one organization than the other.

Wins and losses weren’t really on the Rockets’ agenda. They’re in the early stages of a rebuild. They were content to see rookie sensation Jalen Green make considerable strides throughout the season.

On the other hand, it was a catastrophic year for the Lakers. With LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook on the roster, they had much higher expectations than the 33-win season they completed.

With their first-round pick owed to the New Orleans Pelicans, the year stung considerably harder.

LATEST NBA NEWS AND TRADE RUMORS: Houston Rockets’ Eric Gordon Among Los Angeles Lakers’ Top Kyrie Irving Backup Plans

The Lakers will enter 2022-23 hoping to regroup and contend for an NBA championship. Meanwhile, the Rockets will have the same developmental mindset as they did last year. With that in mind, the Lakers would certainly have more use for Rockets veteran Eric Gordon than his current squad does.

Here’s a trade that sends him to the Lakers.