Is Gordon's time up?
Exploring trade possibilities for the Rockets and Eric Gordon
Oct 13, 2020, 2:19 pm
Time to make a deal? Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images.
Here's why the Rockets love what they're seeing from Eric Gordon
The Rockets could possibly make a splash in the upcoming offseason, which is needed because the Western Conference will get tougher. Since the end of the Rockets' season, GM Daryl Morey has been consistently looking for the next head coach. In this week coming up, Morey has interviews with Ty Lue, Jeff Van Gundy, and John Lucas. After the coaching search is over, Morey will possibly look for trade companions before next season starts.
So, will Morey decide to deal Eric Gordon and/or Danuel House to bring in more acquisitions for the Rockets?
Possibly trading House and Gordon for Myles Turner or Bradly Beal is a great idea if Morey decides to go after them. The 24-year-old Turner provides length inside the paint, can stretch the floor with his shooting, and is a great finisher inside the paint. Turner finished top five in blocks, shot 34 percent from three, and was 75 percent at the free-throw line last season. In his career with the Pacers, Turner averaged 13 points per game, including 7 rebounds as well.
Tuner would use his abilities to shoot and slash towards the basket for the Rockets, including being a great lob partner for James Harden. Bringing Turner to the Rockets will bring a slight reminder of Clint Capela because of his ability to run the floor.
The 27-year-old Beal could be a longshot for the Rockets but it's worth a try. Offering Gordon and House could be an eye-opener for the Wizards' front office. The Wizards have still not broken the barrier with John Wall and Beal. In the last eight seasons with Beal, the Wizards made the playoffs four times, and only making it to Eastern Semifinals twice, including Wall missing the last two seasons because of injuries. Beal also decided not to join the Wizards in the bubble after the NBA's four-month hiatus.
It's no surprise if the two-time All-Star decides to push for a trade in the offseason. Beal averaged 31 points per game last season for the Wizards, which was second behind Harden. In the Rockets' offense, Beal has enough ability to create his own shot and make open looks. If the Rockets' offensive system is built for creativity and iso ball, Beal would be a perfect fit. This trade also depends on the Rockets' next head coach and flexibility in finances. Harden and Westbrook are desperately looking for another consistent scorer, so why not Beal?
The fact that Gordon had a career low in shooting and struggled with injuries this season, should not be ignored by Morey. During the playoffs inside the bubble, House reportedly violated the NBA's visitor rule, meaning no unknown guest in the hotel room. As the situation occurred, House was eventually removed from the bubble, which hurt the Rockets against the Lakers.
In the end, dealing both players would make sense for the Rockets if they want to remain relevant in the Western Conference.
What looked like a minor blip after an emotional series win in Los Angeles has turned into something more concerning for the Houston Astros.
Swept at home by a Guardians team that came in riding a 10-game losing streak, the Astros were left looking exposed. Not exhausted, as injuries, underperformance, and questionable decision-making converged to hand Houston one of its most frustrating series losses of the year.
Depth finally runs dry
It would be easy to point to a “Dodger hangover” as the culprit, the emotional peak of an 18-1 win at Chavez Ravine followed by a mental lull. But that’s not the story here.
Houston’s energy was still evident, especially in the first two games of the series, where the offense scored five or more runs each time. Including those, the Astros had reached that mark in eight of their last 10 games heading into Wednesday’s finale.
But scoring isn’t everything, not when a lineup held together by duct tape and desperation is missing Christian Walker and Jake Meyers and getting critical at-bats from Cooper Hummel, Zack Short, and other journeymen.
The lack of depth finally showed. The Astros, for three days, looked more like a Triple-A squad with Jose Altuve and a couple big-league regulars sprinkled in.
Cracks in the pitching core
And the thing that had been keeping this team afloat, elite pitching, finally buckled.
Hunter Brown and Josh Hader, both dominant all season, finally cracked. Brown gave up six runs in six innings, raising his pristine 1.82 ERA to 2.21. Hader wasn’t spared either, coughing up a game-losing grand slam in extra innings that inflated his ERA from 1.80 to 2.38 in one night.
But the struggles weren’t isolated. Bennett Sousa, Kaleb Ort, and Steven Okert each gave up runs at critical moments. The bullpen’s collective fade could not have come at a worse time for a team already walking a tightrope.
Injury handling under fire
Houston’s injury management is also drawing heat, and rightfully so. Jake Meyers, who had been nursing a calf strain, started Wednesday’s finale. He didn’t even make it through one pitch before aggravating the injury and needing to be helped off the field.
No imaging before playing him. No cautionary rest despite the All-Star break looming. Just a rushed return in a banged-up lineup, and it backfired immediately.
Second-guessing has turned to outright criticism of the Astros’ medical staff, as fans and analysts alike wonder whether these mounting injuries are being made worse by how the club is handling them.
Pressure mounts on Dana Brown
All eyes now turn to Astros GM Dana Brown. The Astros are limping into the break with no clear reinforcements on the immediate horizon. Only Chas McCormick is currently rehabbing in Sugar Land. Everyone else? Still sidelined.
Brown will need to act — and soon.
At a minimum, calling up top prospect Brice Matthews makes sense. He’s been mashing in Triple-A (.283/.400/.476, 10 HR, .876 OPS) and could play second base while Jose Altuve shifts to left field more regularly. With Mauricio Dubón stretched thin between shortstop and center, injecting Matthews’ upside into the infield is a logical step.
*Editor's note: The Astros must be listening, Matthews was called up Thursday afternoon!
The Astros are calling up Brice Matthews, their top prospect on @MLBPipeline
via @brianmctaggart pic.twitter.com/K91cGKkcx6
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) July 10, 2025
There’s also trade chatter, most notably about Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins, but excitement has been tepid. His numbers don’t jump off the page, but compared to who the Astros are fielding now, Mullins would be a clear upgrade and a much-needed big-league presence.
A final test before the break
Before the All-Star reset, Houston gets one last chance to stabilize the ship, and it comes in the form of a rivalry series against the Texas Rangers. The Astros will send their top trio — Lance McCullers Jr., Framber Valdez, and Hunter Brown — to the mound for a three-game set that will test their resolve, their health, and perhaps their postseason aspirations.
The Silver Boot is up for grabs. So is momentum. And maybe, clarity on just how far this version of the Astros can go.
There's so much more to discuss! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday.
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*ChatGPT assisted.
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