The Houston Rockets are in the earlier stages of their rebuild and they reinforced that with the trade they made before the 2022 NBA Draft. They sent Christian Wood to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Boban Marjanvoic, Sterling Brown, Marquese Chriss, Trey Burke and a 2022 first-round draft pick.
People thought that a return package for Wood would look a lot different, but being on an expiring contract, the Rockets got as much value as they thought they could with the first-round pick.
The players were all used mostly to match salary as none of them will likely have extended stays in Houston.
The purge of veteran players continued when the team finally worked out a deal with point guard John Wall. Wall sat out the entire 2021-22 season as the Rockets searched for a team to trade him to. Nothing came to fruition and instead of doing the same dance, the sides worked out a buyout.
LATEST NBA NEWS AND TRADE RUMORS: 3 Post-Draft Trade Ideas For Houston Rockets’ Eric Gordon
Wall has since signed with the LA Clippers, leaving one veteran standing in Houston; Eric Gordon. The Rockets reportedly have some big plans for Gordon, but he has been the subject of trade rumors for a while now. The Philadelphia 76ers actually came close to acquiring him on draft night.
“Eric Gordon, the subject of repeated interest around the league, was close to being traded on draft night, with the Philadelphia 76ers presumed to be the landing spot before talks ultimately fell apart, The Athletic was told,” Kelly Iko wrote.
The 76ers weren’t the only team to express interest in Gordon, as Iko shared that at least six teams made offers to the Rockets for him. The Milwaukee Bucks, Miami Heat and Phoenix Suns all tried their hand at acquiring him with offers that included first-round picks.
LATEST NBA NEWS AND TRADE RUMORS: 3 Post-Draft Trade Ideas For Houston Rockets’ Eric Gordon
Houston declined all of them, which shows just how much they value Eric Gordon. Even rebuilding teams need some veterans in the mix and for the Houston Rockets, Gordon seems to be their guy.
Expect trade offers to continue rolling in, as teams will turn their attention back to Gordon once the Kevin Durant saga with the Brooklyn Nets comes to a close.
