Houston Rockets’ Eric Gordon continues hot streak amid trade rumors
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The current longest-tenured member of the Houston Rockets may not be with the franchise for much longer as the Feb. 9 trade deadline approaches. Though if this is the final week for Eric Gordon at the Toyota Center, at least the 15-year veteran is making the most of it.
Gordon, 34, has been a near-constant presence in trade rumors regarding the Rockets across the last three seasons following James Harden’s departure early in the 2020-21 season. Houston has previously held firm on not dealing Gordon for anything less than a first-round pick, though with this marking the final guaranteed year of his contract, a Gordon deal feels more likely now than ever.
Friday night’s 117-111 loss to the Toronto Raptors marked one of Gordon’s best efforts of the season. He led the Rockets with 28 points along with five assists, draining a pair triples in the process. The hot night wasn’t an outlier for Gordon as of late. He’s now scored at least 24 points in each of the last three games, with Friday’s defeat being preceded by wins over fellow likely lottery-bound squads in Detroit and Oklahoma City. Even midway through his second decade as a professional, Gordon is still a potent scoring threat.
“I always want to play well, I always want to see the team do well,” Gordon said postgame. “I want to continue to play at a high level and that’s all I ask for. We continue to play hard like we have lately and giving ourselves a chance to win.”
One hot week from Gordon won’t exactly boost his trade value, and given the Rockets’ already-crowded roster, perhaps Houston opts to keep Gordon past Thursday’s trade deadline in lieu of acquiring a bundle of second-round picks. But recent nights have helped reveal a truth about Gordon even if he is a multiple years removed from his professional peak. The Indiana product is still a useful NBA player, one who could bring a serious scoring boost to a contender within the next week.