NBA Rumors: Eric Gordon Could Leave Rockets After His Contract Expires, Per ‘Houston Chronicle’
Despite mostly coming off the bench, Eric Gordon has been one of the major contributors for the Houston Rockets in the past two years. In the 69 games he played last season, the 29-year-old shooting guard averaged 18.0 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 2.2 assists on 42.8 percent shooting from the field, and 35.9 percent from beyond the arc. As of now, there is no doubt that James Harden made the right decision to recruit Gordon when he became an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2016.
Eric Gordon still has two years left on his current contract, but according to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle, the Rockets want to keep the veteran shooting guard for a longer period of time. Gordon revealed that the Rockets met his representatives this offseason and discussed a contract extension. Unfortunately, though Gordon expressed his desire to stay long-term in Houston, he is still not ready to sign a new deal.
“There was extension talks, but nothing really serious,” Gordon said. “I would much rather be here as long as I can. Everything will work out. I’ll be here another two years. We’ll see what happens. I’ll see how the next two years go, but I would definitely like to be here the rest of my career.”
Financially, signing a contract extension doesn’t make sense for Eric Gordon since he can earn bigger money when he becomes an unrestricted free agent in July, 2020. Once he hits the free agency market, Gordon is expected to gain a lot of interest from NBA teams who need a boost in their three-point shooting. If the Rockets aren’t willing to give him a decent offer, it is highly likely that Gordon will consider entertaining offers from other NBA teams.
Eric Gordon likely won't extend contract with Rockets https://t.co/0VJWOaODSk
— Houston Chronicle (@HoustonChron) September 27, 2018
As of now, Eric Gordon is focused on helping the Rockets win an NBA championship in the upcoming 2018-19 NBA season. When Trevor Ariza left the Rockets in the recent free agency, Houston aggressively pursued Carmelo Anthony in the buyout market. However, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN, Rockets Head Coach Mike D’Antoni is planning to use Anthony as his sixth man and pair him with James Ennis in their second unit to address his defensive issues. D’Antoni is reportedly considering promoting Gordon to the starting lineup.
Last season, the Rockets performed better on the offensive end of the floor when Eric Gordon shared the court with James Harden and Chris Paul. With the three-guard lineup, the Rockets outscored opponents by 71 points in 148 minutes and posted 134.7 points per 100 possessions.
