So this was interesting, via ESPN:
I’m told a Gordon trade this season is highly unlikely, with one source with knowledge of the situation telling ESPN.com this week that, as things stand, there’s “less than a 10 percent chance” New Orleans would move Gordon before the deadline. Still, the fact that the Hornets made calls around the league implies that they are at least warming up to the idea of moving him at some point.
Word is Dallas, Houston and Golden State are among the teams that have inquired about him. Houston envisions playing him alongside James Harden and Jeremy Lin in its fast-paced system, with Harden at small forward.
Of course, both Houston and Dallas view Gordon as Plan B. Both clubs are saving their max cap room this summer to make a run at the disgruntled one, Dwight Howard. If that falls through, the loser(s) will turn their eyes to Gordon, among others.
Gordon is only one of the many options Houston would consider if it can’t land Howard. Several executives have said the Rockets have interest in Philadelphia’s Andrew Bynum, assuming Bynum returns from his knee injury for a significant chunk of the season’s second half and plays up to his typical All-Star form. That might be a big assumption, though, with Bynum’s recent comments about still suffering pain in his knee.
Whatever the case, the Rockets aren’t expected to be as active next week as they typically are around the deadline because of their desire to save their cap space for the summer. I’m told they’re not in play for Zach Randolph, Danny Granger or Pau Gasol, as has been often rumored.
Gordon and Harden at the wings has the potential to be the best 1-2 in the league once Dwyane Wade progresses in his decline. The only problem is that Gordon just can’t stay healthy.
Honestly, even taking that into consideration, I’d pull the trigger. In Harden, Gordon, and Lin, you’d have three speedy guards that attack the hoop relentlessly and can force the pace. With Asik, of course, you can erase mistakes. I wouldn’t be concerned about size because Gordon is very good defensively. That Harden is below of average is immaterial – he’d be below average anywhere in the lineup, and the ’2′ and ’3′ spots are interchangeable. (As I type this, I wonder if the rationale here would be similar to moving McGrady to the ’3′ and bringing in David Wesley, jettisoning Jimmy Jackson. It might be less defensively demanding for a lazy defender to guard bigger wings than to chase speedy 2′s….)
You’d need some sort of rebounding upgrade at the ’4′, but that’s a constant. If no Dwight, I’d be all about Gordon. You might even be able to convince me that Gordon is preferable.
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) but that's not exactly an upgrade from what we have now, we are already scoring more points than most teams, we need to fill in the blanks to get better, not superimpose talent at the same position.
