Getty A view of the Los Angeles Lakers bench during the first half of the game against the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center on January 28, 2022 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Despite having LeBron James, Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis, the Los Angeles Lakers are in ninth place in the Western Conference standings. If the season ended today, the purple and gold would be in the play-in tournament for the second straight year.
The Lakers defeated the Golden State Warriors in the play-in game last season. However, they lost to the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the playoffs in six games. It was the first time LeBron failed to reach the second round during his legendary career.
To avoid the play-in tournament again, the Lakers need to make a trade and add more shooting and playmaking and Heavy insider Sean Deveney thinks the Houston Rockets have an ideal player for LeBron and Co.
Deveney: Lakers Could Trade for Eric Gordon
During a Facebook live segment with Steve Bulpett, Deveney proposed that the Lakers trade Talen Horton-Tucker and Kendrick Nunn to the Rockets for Eric Gordon. The 2016-17 Sixth Man of the Year is the outside threat the Lakers need alongside LeBron and Davis.
“Eric Gordon: Obviously not a point guard, but he can handle the ball and he has been a part-time point guard before,” Deveney said. “At this point, he is pretty much a straight shooter. Injury history is dreadful and I think that is what you worry about, but I think with this team, with what they have — and you only have Talen Horton-Tucker and Kendrick Nunn package to offer — if you can give that to the Rockets and you can get back Eric Gordon, I think you live with that and cross your fingers he stays healthy.”
Gordon is averaging 14.2 points, 2.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists this season while shooting 49.1% from the field, 42.7% from beyond the arc and 75.7% from the free-throw line. He has made 100 3-pointers, which is more than Westbrook and Horton-Tucker combined.
Nunn hasn’t played a single game this season due to a knee injury and it’s unclear when he’ll be cleared to play.
The Rockets are rebuilding in the post-James Harden era. As a result, they would benefit from adding two young players in Horton-Tucker and Nunn and parting ways with Gordon, who is 33 and better suited to play for a contender.
Not only would Gordon help the Lakers’ offense with his shooting and playmaking talents, but he would also fit in well in the locker room since he’s played with three Los Angeles players before.
Gordon Has Played with Davis, Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony
Gordon played with Davis on the New Orleans Pelicans and Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony on the Rockets. He has career averages of 16.5 points and 2.9 assists and is one of the most reliable 3-point shooters in the NBA.
The Indiana native is a career 37.1% shooter from deep. He also has plenty of playoff experience. Gordon has played in 55 postseason games with the Pelicans and Rockets. He has career playoff averages of 16.0 points and 2.1 assists while shooting 36.0% from beyond the arc.
If the Lakers acquire Gordon, they could potentially have a starting lineup of Westbrook, Gordon, LeBron, Stanley Johnson and Davis, with Malik Monk, Anthony, Trevor Ariza, Avery Bradley, Dwight Howard and Austin Reaves manning the bench unit.
Gordon isn’t the athlete he used to be, but he can still get to the rim and finish in heavy traffic thanks to his upper body strength and his 3-point shooting skills would improve the Lakers’ floor spacing.