NBA Rumors: Rockets Could Trade Eric Gordon And Brandon Knight For Otto Porter, Jr, ‘CBS Sports’ Suggests
Since losing Trevor Ariza and Luc Mbah a Moute in the recent free agency, the Houston Rockets have been active on the trade market, searching for a defensive-minded player to fill their hole in the wing. The Rockets have acquired Carmelo Anthony from the buyout market, but the 10-time All-Star has been a huge disappointment and affected Houston’s performance on both ends of the floor in a negative way.
After shutting down Carmelo Anthony, the Rockets surprisingly performed better and won the last four games. However, it doesn’t mean that they are no longer considering upgrading their wing. According to CBS Sports, one of the “intriguing option” for the Rockets is Otto Porter Jr. of the Washington Wizards.
“With the Houston Rockets losing both Trevor Ariza and Luc Mbah a Moute over the course of the offseason, their perimeter defense has taken a major hit, which is why a player like Otto Porter would be an intriguing option for them on the trade market. While he is not considered to be a lock-down defender, Porter is more than capable of guarding both the small forward and power forward positions, which would give the Rockets a true two-way player who could help make an impact on the perimeter on both ends of the floor.”
The #Pelicans reportedly have their eyes on #Wizards 3-and-D stud Otto Porter Jr.https://t.co/8qH3NPE1qn
— Pelicans Nation (@PelsNationCP) November 19, 2018
In a proposed trade deal by CBS Sports, the Rockets would send Eric Gordon and Brandon Knight to the Wizards in exchange for Otto Porter, Jr. The deal works on ESPN‘s NBA Trade Machine. If this becomes a reality, the trade will help both teams in addressing some of the issues on their roster.
Otto Porter, Jr. may not be a lock-down defender like Trevor Ariza, but he could still boost the Rockets’ performance on the defensive end of the floor. With his experience playing alongside John Wall and Bradley Beal in Washington, Porter won’t have a hard time making himself fit as the Rockets’ third scoring option behind James Harden and Chris Paul. This season, the 25-year-old small forward is averaging 10.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.4 steals on 46.2 percent shooting from the field, and 35.6 percent shooting from beyond the arc.
Meanwhile, the deal will enable the Wizards to get rid of Porter’s lucrative deal while receiving two veterans, Brandon Knight and Eric Gordon, who could boost their second unit. The departure of Porter won’t deeply hurt the Wizards since they still have Kelly Oubre, Jr. and Troy Brown, Jr., who are much cheaper options in the wing.
