Rockets Eric Gordon Wants To Win As Future Remains Uncertain
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HOUSTON — Veteran shooting guard Eric Gordon was all smiles during his first media day as a member of the Houston Rockets in September of 2016.
Gordon was a newcomer who joined the Rockets as a free agent following an unsuccessful five-year tenure with the New Orleans Pelicans. His goal was to play a vital role in helping the organization win its first NBA title since 1995.
Each year the Rockets fell short of their objective, Gordon's smile began to dwindle. Six years after his first media day as a member of the Rockets, Gordon is no longer entering the season with the same eagerness from 2016.
"With any transition, you always try to look at the positive," Gordon said. "I am trying to be another coach on the floor, telling guys what to do. It's all a growing process. It's going to take some time. But hopefully, it moves faster and not longer."
Unlike his first year in Houston, Gordon will measure the success of the Rockets in 2023 by growth. But he yearns to recapture the feeling of walking into a new season as a championship-contending team.
Gordon is driven by his will to win. His desire to compete for a championship has created uncertainty about his future with the Rockets.
Since the NBA Draft in June, trade rumors surrounding Gordon had him associated with the Philadelphia 76ers, as general manager Daryl Morey continued to reunite James Harden with several of his old teammates from Houston.
The Rockets never budged on the trade value for Gordon. His on-court production no longer helps Houston win an average of 54 games — similar to his first four seasons. But Gordon's veteran leadership has made him difficult for the Rockets to trade.
Gordon could be a free agent at the end of the 2022-23 season, given that the fourth and final year on his contract is non-guaranteed.
"I've always liked Houston...but I want to win," Gordan said. "The business side of basketball is not in my control. It has always been out of my hands. All I can do is come to work and play hard."
At 33 years old, Gordon is the elder statement for a team with an average age of 23.7. A source told Inside the Rockets that coach Stephen Silas has a deep admiration for Gordon due to his leadership presence.
Gordon has appeared in 332 games for the Rockets while averaging 16.1 points on 41.9 percent shooting from the field, including 36.1 percent shooting from behind the arc.
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