Lakers interested in trade for Rockets guard Eric Gordon

Per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Lakers recently checked in with the Houston Rockets about a possible trade for veteran guard Eric Gordon. But as with Philadelphia, any deal likely requires a third team.

“They’ve continued to check in on Eric Gordon,” Wojnarowski said of Los Angeles during an ESPN television appearance on Wednesday afternoon. “That’s certainly a player that has interested them.”

The Rockets are rebuilding, and Gordon is a very valuable role player who is 33 years old. Naturally, this draws plenty of speculation about possible trades to teams trying to win now — like the Sixers with Joel Embiid and James Harden, or the Lakers with LeBron James and Anthony Davis — for some combination of prospects and/or future draft assets.

The problem is that the Lakers and 76ers have very few future draft picks available to trade due to previous deals and the Stepien rule, and what limited assets they have may not be on the table. For example, Woj reports that Los Angeles remains interested in pursuing a trade for Brooklyn star Kyrie Irving, who is understandably a higher priority than Gordon. Thus, the Lakers would likely be reluctant to part with any sort of meaningful asset before reaching a resolution on Irving.

Moreover, the salary matching candidate from the Lakers in any Gordon deal is clearly Talen Horton-Tucker, who has a player option worth more than $11 million for the 2023-24 season. That’s probably not a great fit for a Houston roster that is currently positioned for major salary cap flexibility in 2023, and one that is already deep with wing prospects.

As with the 76ers and rumored trade chip Matisse Thybulle, a deal could be realistic where Gordon goes to the 76ers or Lakers, Thybulle or Horton-Tucker to a third team, and a draft asset from that team heads to the Rockets. But the challenge is the same, either way: Can the Rockets and Lakers or 76ers find a third team that is willing to give up a meaningful draft asset for a player like Thybulle or Horton-Tucker?

If not, the Rockets would likely stay the course with Gordon, who is a better player than either and also has a contract expiring sooner.