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Recent NBA rumors have seen Houston Rockets sharpshooter Eric Gordon mentioned in trade talks. Bleacher Reports' Eric Pincus offered more insight on the matter, and the analyst also shared what Houston wanted in return for the shooting guard.
The Rockets haven't been the most appealing team in trade conversations this season. Since moving Christian Wood in the offseason, they have entered a rebuild.
Laced with young talent around the roster, Houston has a lot of pieces to focus on and build around. With talented players like Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, and rookie Jabari Smith Jr., the Rockets are in a good position.
However, Houston appears to still be in the process of adding more assets. In this regard, veteran sharpshooter Eric Gordon has been a player that has repeatedly been mentioned in trade talks coming out of Houston.
Gordon has been quite effective with the Rockets. As a solid perimeter threat and scorer, he has some value in the trade market. Unfortunately, Houston hasn't been able to facilitate a deal to move the shooting guard just yet.
As per Bleacher Reports' Eric Pincus, however, there may be a good reason for this. In a recent article, Pincus mentioned that the Houston Rockets were looking to receive a first-round pick in return for Eric Gordon. He wrote:
"The Detroit Pistons and Houston Rockets are sellers but are ‘asking for too much’ for players like Bogdanović and Eric Gordon.
“‘They both want first-round picks for guys over 30,’ one source said of the Pistons and Rockets. ‘They may be willing to wait until the summer since both Bojan and Gordon are under contract.’”
The comparison to Bojan Bogdanovic's situation with the Detroit Pistons is quite apt in this regard. Although the Pistons have established their stance on retaining their leading scorer, Detroit may still be persuaded to move him if the right offer comes along.
However, when considering two role players over the age of 30, there is very little leverage with regard to trading them. In this regard, while Gordon has value, he may not necessarily be worth a first-round pick.
Read: Eric Gordon’s frustrations with rebuilding Houston Rockets pile up amid trade rumors
Why do the Houston Rockets want a first-round pick for Eric Gordon?
There is a good reason behind the Houston Rockets' demands for a first-round for Eric Gordon. While draft compensation is a lot more complicated to track than salary, the Rockets may pursue the same primarily to facilitate their rebuild.
As mentioned earlier, the Rockets have some incredible young talent on their roster. In this regard, while effective, Gordon doesn't necessarily fit the timeline for their development.
Moving Gordon while he still has value is undoubtedly beneficial to Houston's plans. Given that they already have a pick in the first round of next year's draft, the Rockets are also likely to get a fairly high pick given their record at the moment.
With a solid backcourt duo of Kevin Porter Jr. and Jalen Green, the Rockets can add some significant talent from the draft. Having an additional first-round pick will only bolster their chances of developing greater roster strength and depth. However, this also ensures that the Rockets will be a developing team for a lot longer.
