NBA Rumors: Rockets Could Trade Eric Gordon To Grizzlies For Jae Crowder & Kyle Korver, Per ‘Bleacher Report’
After suffering another massive defeat at the hands of the Golden State Warriors, the Houston Rockets became more aggressive in the upgrading their roster in the 2019 NBA offseason. With the goal of surrounding James Harden with a better supporting cast, the Rockets have reportedly made most of their players and future draft picks available in trade discussions.
In his recent article, Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report gave a list of several blockbuster trade scenarios that could happen early in the 2019 NBA free agency period. For the Rockets, Swartz suggested that they could engage in a trade deal with the Memphis Grizzlies. In the proposed trade scenario, the Rockets will be sending Eric Gordon and a 2020 second-round pick to the Grizzlies in exchange for Jae Crowder and Kyle Korver. The deal works on ESPN‘s NBA Trade Machine.
Parting ways with Gordon is undeniably a tough decision for the Rockets, especially knowing his contributions to the team’s success in the past years. However, it’s the type of sacrifice the Rockets should be willing to make if they want to change the narrative in the 2019-20 NBA season. Meanwhile, Crowder and Korver will likely be incredible additions to the Rockets.
If such a trade pushes forward, Jae Crowder will give the Rockets a defensive-minded wingman they have been missing since losing Trevor Ariza and Luc Mbah a Moute last summer. Meanwhile, the potential acquisition of Kyle Korver will boost the Rockets’ bench scoring. Having a veteran who specializes in catch-and-shoot threes will make the Rockets a more dangerous team on the offensive end of the floor next season.
After losing Jae Crowder and Derrick Favors, the @UtahJazz needed to acquire some talent at the power forward positions.
Enter Jeff Green.https://t.co/UbiOYW3gyD— The Salt Lake Tribune (@sltrib) July 3, 2019
As Swartz noted, the proposed trade scenario will not only be beneficial for the Rockets but also for the Grizzlies.
“For Memphis, getting Gordon back would mean pairing a reliable veteran scorer with rookie point guard Ja Morant in the backcourt. His 16.2 points per game trailed only James Harden and Clint Capela for Houston last season. If the Grizzlies decided they wanted to go younger, Gordon could be flipped again at the deadline or bought out altogether. The Grizzlies would also get their own second-round pick in next summer’s draft back from the Rockets, and that selection should carry value somewhere in the 30s.”
Eric Gordon will give the Grizzlies a veteran shooting guard who could help mentor Ja Morant, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, next season. With Gordon’s contract set to expire after the 2019-20 NBA season, the Grizzlies could use him as a valuable trade chip to acquire young players and future draft picks before the next year’s February NBA trade deadline.
