The Philadelphia 76ers are still reportedly trying to secure the services of veteran guard Eric Gordon despite failing to make a trade with the Houston Rockets on the night of the NBA Draft.
In June, ESPN NBA insider Brian Windhorst reported that the 76ers and Phoenix Suns were looking to swing a trade with the Rockets for the 14-year veteran. Obviously, a deal never materialized but that doesn’t mean Philly wasn’t close and isn’t continuing to work on it.
On Thursday, The Athletic writer Kelly Iko confirmed the Windhorst report and added that the 76ers were close to making a deal happen at the 2022 NBA Draft. Unfortunately for the 76ers, they didn’t have enough of what the Rockets wanted. Nor did several other teams who tried to pry Gordon away.
“In addition to the 76ers, the Rockets received offers from no less than six teams before the draft, including the Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, and Phoenix Suns, who offered packages including first-round picks. Houston turned all of those down,” Iko wrote.
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However, Iko added that despite coming up short on draft night, the 76ers “re-engaged” the Rockets in trade discussions at the beginning of NBA free agency. But Houston is in no rush to trade the 33-year-old. “The Rockets are not desperate to offload Gordon, certainly not as desperate as some contenders are to obtain him in what looks like a standard championship-hopeful rental … Houston may re-evaluate offers around the upcoming trade deadline, but assuming no team presents an offer deemed acceptable, the Rockets are more than pleased to have him on the roster heading into camp and the regular season,” wrote Iko.
What might an Eric Gordon to the Philadelphia 76ers trade look like?
While Gordon is no longer in his prime and is as consistent at getting injured as he is at putting the ball in the basketball, he would be a worthwhile addition to the 76ers bench. But with a deal being difficult to make, what would it take to pry him away with only one year guaranteed on his contract.
- Rockets get: Furkan Korkmaz, De’Anthony Melton, Matisse Thybulle, 2024 lottery-protected first-round pick
- 76ers get: Eric Gordon and a 2025 second-round pick
To make the money work, the 76ers would need to put Furkan Korkmaz, De’Anthony Melton, and Matisse Thybulle in the deal. However, since Melton was recently acquired he can not be traded until the end of August, so this deal will need to simmer until then.
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If that is not enough to land Gordon, the 76ers will need to sweeten the pot with a first-round pick. Preferably one that is lottery-protected in the event Philly has something disastrous happen to its top stars in the next few years.