NBA Rumors: Lakers Could Get Eric Gordon From Rockets For Two Players & Draft Pick
The Los Angeles Lakers arguably look like a team that doesn’t have any glaring needs, with superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis leading the way and their 21-6 record good enough for second in the Western Conference. However, the Lakers might need to acquire a player or two before the trade deadline in order to improve their chances of winning a second straight championship. With that in mind, a recent report recommended that the club could make a deal for Houston Rockets shooting guard Eric Gordon to boost their backcourt depth.
As explained on NBA Analysis Network on Saturday, the Rockets might be a good trade partner for the Lakers because they are “a bit of a rebuilding team.” After a 2019-20 season where they were led by James Harden and Russell Westbrook, both superstars have since been traded elsewhere, as the club is now led by former Washington Wizards point guard John Wall, ex-Indiana Pacers two-guard Victor Oladipo, and young big man Christian Wood. However, the Rockets might not be finished making moves, hence the possibility that Gordon could be shipped elsewhere before the March 25 deadline.
As suggested by the publication, the Lakers could get Gordon by offering veterans Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Jared Dudley and a second-round pick in the 2023 draft. The hypothetical move could give Los Angeles a three-point-shooting threat who could take some of the pressure off James and Davis on the offensive end of the floor. He was also described as a veteran with the potential to “immediately” benefit a win-now organization like the Lakers.
“Eric Gordon is a proven commodity that has plenty of experience playing with other stars and in the postseason. This will get the Lakers a starting-caliber wing which would directly improve the depth immediately.”
A former Sixth Man of the Year winner during his time with the Rockets, Gordon is currently averaging 18.6 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 2.4 assists and converting 45.9 percent of his shots from the field and 36.1 percent of his attempts from three-point range, per Basketball-Reference. These numbers, particularly his shooting clips, represent a slight increase over his statistics from the last two seasons.
Meanwhile, the deal could serve as a “salary dump” of sorts for Houston, one that could give them the salary-cap space they need to land some coveted free agents in the 2021 offseason, NBA Analysis Network noted. However, the outlet pointed out that Caldwell-Pope could help the Rockets through his three-point shooting ability, while Dudley and the second-rounder could be used as bait if they choose to make another trade before the deadline.
