Rockets reportedly interested in Aaron Gordon

Trade season is heating up, and we’ve been covering both existing rumors and potential future possibilities. Almost everything we’ve heard so far position the Houston Rockets as major sellers, but now we finally have a report of the team becoming potential buyers as well.

According to The Action Network, the Rockets are expected to make a run at swing forward Aaron Gordon should the Orlando Magic make the 25-year-old flashy dunker available near the trade deadline.

Then … there’s Aaron Gordon. Never quite the player he needs to be, which is the second coming of Shawn Marion, Gordon is the best asset the Magic have. He’s 25, shooting 36% from 3-point range (a career high) with four assists per game (another career high). Gordon needs to be the third- or fourth-best player on a team with top-end talent.

League sources said the Rockets were expected to be a major suitor for Gordon if he’s made available.

So while Gordon’s not officially on the market, it wouldn’t be a surprise for the Magic to move on from him if they’re looking to rebuild. After hitting a high-water mark of 17.6 points and 7.9 rebounds in 2017-2018, big things were expected from Gordon, possibly even a leap into a second-tier star, but that’s never quite materialized.

In fact, Gordon’s totals have progressively looked worse in every season since then, and he’s averaging just 13.8 points and 7.2 rebounds this year, while playing in only 19 total contests due to a severely sprained ankle.

Gordon is expected back sometime in March, but he’s missed six weeks, so he’ll need some time to get his legs back underneath him.

Gordon isn’t the ideal target, but he is still young, so maybe a change of scenery could get him back on the track to improvement instead of devolving. But he’s tall, athletic, and can shoot the three-ball (36 percent so far this season), so he’d be an intriguing fit alongside Christian Wood.

I personally can’t see the Rockets being huge buyers this year unless they can snag a real steal on the trade market, but Gordon would be just the type of talented, yet not-quite developed player the Rockets might find at a slight bargain, especially if the 13-23 Magic are intent on turning the page entirely.

Plus, I think it would do wonders for my fantasy team. Gordon’s been in my IR slot for what seems like forever, and Houston would likely be a better place for stats than what’s happening right now in Orlando. Purely selfish reasons, of course, but I don’t hate him for the Rockets if the price is right.

We’ll keep posting the trade rumors for you as they come. Stay tuned!