The rumor mill has made the Rockets a mystery team at the upcoming trade deadline. One would assume they plan on trading Eric Gordon, but Kelly Iko of The Athletic reported that they aren't keen on the idea of giving him away and would be comfortable keeping him around their young core past the deadline. Christian Wood is another logical name that's been floated around the rumor mill, but there hasn't been any substantial reporting to suggest that Houston actually wants to deal Wood. For the past couple weeks, we've been exploring potential trades the Rockets can make at the upcoming deadline and we're going to continue that today in Part 3.

You can also go back and read Part 1 and Part 2 of this series.

Rockets NBA Trade Deadline Possibilities

1. Eric Gordon to the Jazz

Houston receives:

Joe Ingles

2022 Jazz second round pick

2024 Jazz first round pick swap

Utah receives:

Eric Gordon

Reasoning:

The Jazz are about as screwed as you can be right now for a potential title contender. Bench swingman Joe Ingles suffered a season-ending ACL tear and it leaves them with a pretty significant hole in an already lacking wing rotation. Logically, a team in this position would trade Ingles since he's a decent sized expiring contract along with their upcoming first round pick. However, the Jazz have no upcoming first round picks that they can trade because of the Stepien rule. The earliest pick they can move at the deadline is their 2026 first round pick, which is a very risky to do without significant protections. The problem is Houston is in a fantastic leverage position with Eric Gordon and they are almost assuredly avoiding trading for heavily protected firsts.

This is why asking for a first round pick swap in 2024 makes a lot of sense. Houston has two first rounders that season – their own and Brooklyn's. They could involve Utah and make it so they receive the two best of the Jazz, the Nets, and their own pick that year. The swap has a decent chance of going in Houston's favor, but they could also ask for an additional second rounder so in any scenario, they aren't walking away with anything. Of course, they could also ask for Utah's 2026 first round pick swap instead, but the further out you ask for a pick, the more likely the incumbent team will want significant protections.

2. Eric Gordon to the Clippers

Houston receives:

Eric Bledsoe

2022 Clippers second round pick

2025 Clippers second round pick

Los Angeles receives:

Eric Gordon

Reasoning:

This is the type of trade Houston would make if a first round pick isn't available for Eric Gordon. Unlikely, but it's smart to have a deal like this set as a backup of sorts for if things don't go your way at the deadline. The Clippers are just so tapped out of first round picks because of their dealings with Oklahoma City. Houston could also choose instead to wait until the summer to deal Gordon if this is the best they can do. The Clippers will be able to trade their 2023 first round pick after the draft and would probably still be game to move two second round picks.

3. Eric Gordon to the Suns

Houston receives:

Cameron Payne

Dario Saric

2024 Suns first round pick

Phoenix receives:

Eric Gordon

Reasoning:

The Suns have gotten very disappointing returns from Cameron Payne and Laundry Shamet this season. Shot creation off the bench is a problem and and after Mikal Bridges, Phoenix doesn't have many reliable defensive wing options. Jae Crowder and Cameron Johnson both play over 87% of their minutes at power forward. Eric Gordon has plenty of experience at small forward and is more versatile defensively than his reputation would suggest. He also has an established relationship with both Chris Paul and head coach Monty Williams.

There's an alternative trade here where the Suns decide to move Shamet instead of Payne, but that contract extension is very unappealing for a team that wants to enter free agency in 2023 like Houston. In this scenario, the Rockets would be demanding a 2026 first round pick instead.