In case you had gotten this far and did not know, the Houston Rockets are in a full rebuild. They’re consistently 20 games below .500, sit at the bottom of the Western Conference, and the Twittersphere is debating who to pick with what will inevitably be a top-end pick in the NBA Draft. The Houston Rockets, as a team, are bad.
But individually, Houston does have good basketball players. Eric Gordon is a veteran sharp-shooter and tough-nosed defender that can go off for 20+ on any night (expect back-to-backs…). Christian Wood is a multi-level scorer that is six-foot-ten, long, and can shoot. John Wall averaged 20.6 points and 6.9 assists per game last year and has been resting his body since late April. Realistically, each of those three could be on a new team by the All-Star break.
And frankly, they should.
In the absolute best version of the 2026 Houston Rockets, as they’re hoisting the Larry O’Brien trophy and parading down La Branch, the Houston Rockets will likely have just three or four players from their 2021-22 roster. Not only is roster turnover far more common than the average fan wants to admit, but the current roster also isn’t working. Yes, the young Rockets will grow and develop… but will they have ceilings.
As is the case, the Houston Rockets should be looking to trade almost anyone in the coming days. Today? We look at Eric Gordon.
Eric Gordon
There are a number of different teams that should be inquiring about Eric Gordon. The Houston Rockets’ vet is the last holdover from the “hamstring away” run of 2018 and a former Sixth Man of the Year. Since coming to Houston in 2016, Gordon has provided buzzer-beaters, three’s from the logo, and an endless supply of memes and gifs. On top of all of that? In James Harden and Russell Westbrook’s absence in January of 2020, “Gordy” had a 50 point night to fuel a big win over the Utah Jazz. And what Rockets fan doesn’t like beating Utah?
Many contenders make sense for Gordon. No team can have enough rotational shooting and defense, especially in a player who can play three positions, can start, and can come off of the bench. But a few really stick out…
Cleveland Cavaliers
First, let’s look at Cleveland. The Cavaliers are a surging team that is hitting their stride ahead of schedule. Jarrett Allen has been a perfect addition to the defense, their tandem of Collin Sexton and Darius Garland has grown into their own, and Evan Mobley has fit right in as a Rookie of the Year candidate. But what’re they missing? Shooting.
Conveniently, the Cleveland Cavaliers backup point guard, Ricky Rubio, makes nearly the exact same amount annually as Eric Gordon. If the Cavs threw in some draft capital, the Houston Rockets would absolutely take that swap.
Rubio suffered a season-ending injury, and thus Houston could pay out his contract without cutting into the minutes of Jalen Green, Kevin Porter Jr, or Josh Christopher. And this summer? He’s off the books. The deal, in all actuality, is draft capital for Eric Gordon… except with Rubio’s $18 Million rehab on the side.
Dallas Mavericks
The Mavs don’t have the draft capital the Houston Rockets want, but if they can find a way to get assets they have a desperate need for Gordon. Gordon pairs well with Luka Doncic much like Seth Curry did on offense, but also would alleviate his efforts on the defensive end. Gordon could cover the other team’s top perimeter player when he’s in, let Luka cover a corner shooter, and then they would flip roles on offense.
Dallas has a number of bad contracts to shed but could dump the salaries of Dorian Finney-Smith and Reggie Bullock in the deal. They’d probably have to include young Moses Brown, who has moments of promise… but is not enough of a future asset in and of himself. If third team, and a new home for Dwight Powell or Trey Burke, could bring Houston a 1st round pick… this seems like a win-win opportunity.
Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta was an Eastern Conference finalist a year ago, but the Hawks look like they’re going to need to inject some energy to have a similar run this postseason. The Hawks are currently below .500 and have seen a number of key role players, like Bogdan Bogdanovic, play in less than three-quarters of their games thus far. Atlanta thrives on spacing the floor around Trae Young and Clint Capela or John Collins pick and rolls, and bringing Eric Gordon to town would add the shooting and defense Atlanta needs.
In return, Houston would probably take on multiple contracts like Kevin Knox, Lou Williams, and Gorgui Dieng. In order for Houston to take that on, intuition would have it that they bring in a first-round pick. Atlanta can’t offer one, other than the first from Charlotte they pulled from New York in the Cam Reddish trade, for a few years… but we have seen how Stone is willing to look at the big picture. Maybe that means they take a future first pick, and hope they have a drop off similar to the one Houston hopes Brooklyn is coming upon.
