Former 76ers Trade Target Gaining Traction in Talks Once Again
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Philadelphia 76ers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey added a few of his former Houston Rockets players to reunite with James Harden on the Sixers this past offseason.
When the Sixers entered the first day of free agency, they inked deals with PJ Tucker and Danuel House Jr. After re-signing Harden, the Sixers added the veteran big Montrezl Harrell a couple of weeks before camp began.
Morey and the 76ers’ front office reportedly attempted to land another Houston Rocket via trade over the offseason. According to The Athletic’s Kelly Iko, Gordon was “close to being traded on draft night,” and the Sixers were the “presumed landing spot.”
As we know now, a deal never came to life. While the Sixers did make a trade during the 2022 NBA Draft, it was with the Memphis Grizzlies to land the veteran guard De’Anthony Melton.
From then on, reports about talks between the Rockets and Sixers simmered down. As the 2022-2023 season started, Gordon remained a member of the Rockets, and nothing about that has changed as of now.
Could it change soon, though? ESPN’s Zach Lowe recently mentioned that as the Phoenix Suns attempt to figure out a deal to make to move the veteran forward Jae Crowder, the Rockets are a team to watch, and Gordon is a name popping up in the rumor mill once again.
"One team I would keep an eye on in any Crowder trade, or any trade like that, butting in is the Rockets with Eric Gordon,” said Lowe on ‘The Lowe Post'. “Just keep an eye on it. I'm not saying he would be going to any specific place. I'm just saying keep an eye on it."
Crowder will get traded at some point as his holdout continues, but it’s unclear when and where he’ll get sent. As time passes, it’s becoming increasingly clear that the Suns are likely to engage in a multi-team trade to make it happen.
As for Houston, if the Rockets are serious about moving Gordon, the Sixers could be a team to watch once again. This season, Gordon’s started in 19 games with the Rockets. Averaging a little under 30 minutes per game, the veteran has knocked down 55 percent of his shots from two-point range, and 36 percent of his threes,
Philadelphia wouldn’t be the only team interested if they decided to enter the market for Gordon. Back when Gordon’s trade market heated up over the summer, the Rockets received offers from at least six teams, which included deals from two Eastern Conference contenders in the Miami Heat and the Milwaukee Bucks, according to Iko.
Since the Heat, Bucks, and other contending teams are always on the hunt for solid veteran additions that could help boost the chances of making a championship run, Gordon will likely draw a competitive market as talks begin to resurface.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.
