NBA Trade Rumors: Rockets Looking To Deal Ex-Sixth Man Awardee For Draft Pick

The Houston Rockets own the rights to the third overall selection of the 2022 NBA draft, but it appears that may not be enough.

According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the Rockets are looking to move veteran Eric Gordon in exchange for a first-round pick. International Business Times could not independently verify this information.

The report comes not long after the Rockets agreed to send Christian Wood to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for multiple assets.

Houston acquired the No. 26 pick in the 2022 NBA draft, along with four players with expiring contracts, Boban Marjanovic, Marquese Chriss, Trey Burke and Sterling Brown in the deal, ESPN reported, citing unnamed sources.

Aside from the third and 26th pick, the Rockets also own the rights to the 17th overall pick. From the looks of it, Houston seems bent on moving up the upcoming NBA draft, which takes place Thursday.

Gordon could be tempting to other teams, although the Rockets' chances could become better if they include their other selections in any deal.

What is clear right now is that the Houston Rockets are rebuilding and are investing heavily on younger players.

As pointed out by Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle, the Rockets are giving priority to getting picks with as little protection as possible instead of those with more immediate returns.

Gordon is owed $19.6 million for the 2022-23 season and $20.9 million in non-guaranteed salary for the 2023-24 wars. The 33-year-old guard could be put to good use for teams in need of added offense.

The 2017 NBA Sixth Man of the Year awardee has been slowed down by injuries in the past three NBA seasons. For the 2021-22 season, he played in 57 games where he averaged 13.4 points, 2.7 assists and two rebounds in 29.3 minutes of action.

Gordon owns NBA career averages of 16.4 points, 2.8 assists and 2.4 rebounds in 749 games.

After Gordon, John Wall is likely to be the next order of business for the Rockets. The 31-year-old guard did not play a single minute last season and is someone expected to move for the 2022-23 season.

There has been little to no interest in the five-time All-Star so far. A swap involving Russell Westbrook was in the works, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reported, but the deal never came to fruition.

Wall is in the final year of his four-year, $171 million deal and is set to make $47.4 million this coming NBA season.