Rumor: New Orleans Pelicans pushing Eric Gordon on trading block

[Lucky17]

RK   PLAYER   TEAM   GP   MPG   PTS   FGM-FGA   FG%   3PM-3PA   3P%   FTM-FTA   FT%
11   Eric Gordon, SG   NO   31   31.9   15.6   5.7-13.0   .439   1.5-3.8   .385   2.7-3.4   .802
12   Joe Johnson, SG   BKN   34   34.2   15.5   5.7-13.1   .434   1.9-5.1   .376   2.2-2.7   .804

[nickagneta]

http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=kzo83kn

I'd do this + the Clippers' 2015 draft pick and a future Celtics pick that's lottery protected. Or replace Crawford with AB and include a a couple of 2nd rounders instead of the firsts.

Although his scoring his down this season, he's shown he can be a 20 point scorer at this level.

If we're trading for Gordon, I think you need to make them take Wallace back.  If not, it's going to cramp our cap with two three-year big contracts on the books.

Yeah, there's no other way around it. If gordon is coming to Boston with that contract then Wallace has to head to New Orleans. Other players and picks can be worked out but Wallace has to go if Gordon is incoming.

Watched a lot of Gordon and the Pels the last few weeks and gotta say, Gordon's defense has been awful lately. Actually the entire defense of the Pelicans has been. Gordon's offensive game might not match his contract but his defensive effort has been unworthy of a minimum contract at times of the last several weeks.

[PhoSita]

Not sure I see what makes Gordon so special.  He's only scoring slightly more than Avery Bradley is this season, and he's not especially efficient.

[LooseCannon]

I'd rather give Bradley $9m a year than bring in Eric Gordon.

The pure rebuilding trade for Boston would be to send Humphries to New Orleans, Gordon goes to a third team, and the Celtics take on non-expiring contracts from that third team that New Orleans doesn't want, in exchange for draft considerations.  Guys like Bogans or Brooks might also be involved.  At least one first, more than just one first.  That's the kind of trade that a rock-bottom, talentless team should make, but I think the Celtics have too much talent on their roster and should instead be aiming to make the playoffs next season.

[LooseCannon]

Not sure I see what makes Gordon so special.  He's only scoring slightly more than Avery Bradley is this season, and he's not especially efficient.

Standard overrating of a guy who is only 25 and has demonstrated an ability to score 20ppg in the past, placing too much value on relative youth and scoring.

[obnoxiousmime]

I know Wallace's corpse has little value but I don't really trust Gordon's knees at all. I don't even want to give up a pick, to be honest. If he gets injured again, which is a high probability, it could ruin not just one season but put future seasons in uncertainty.

Also, it seems like a deal would have to include Bogans. Are we ABSOLUTELY sure that pursuing a Hayward or a Stephenson this offseason is futile? Replacing Bogans' expiring with Gordon's extra 5 million would brings us back to pre-Courtney Lee cap space territory.

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

Gordon seems a bit too expensive and too injury-prone for my liking.

[D.o.s.]

Wallace, Bogans, and Crawford for Gordon sounds fine to me, but I think I like Gordon more than most. I don't think I'd include more than a lottery protected first rounder if I was the Celtics, though.

And I have absolutely no idea why New Orleans would do it, either, aside from the fact that they obviously want to move on from Gordon.

[CFAN38]

If he comes back playing before allstar break maybe Danilo Gallinari for Eric Gordon swap? Same age ad both would fit well with the others team.

[ssspence]

Not interested unless they take Wallace. Even then, just not sure why we'd bother. Ya pass and put your energy somewhere else.

[Tr1boy]

no thanks.

Danny is rebuilding. He will trade for a Center like Asik if he doesn't have to give up much. But will build through FA/draft

[Roy H.]

Not interested unless they take Wallace. Even then, just not sure why we'd bother. Ya pass and put your energy somewhere else.

I think Boston would be interest because Gordon is still a good player, whereas Gerald Wallace is a stiff.

Do you pay $10.1 million per year for three seasons for a guy who is absolutely guaranteed to have no value, or do you spend an extra $4 - $5 million per year and upgrade the stiff to a guy who is a top-50 scorer (i.e., on Jeff Green's level)?

[BleedGreen1989]

Not interested unless they take Wallace. Even then, just not sure why we'd bother. Ya pass and put your energy somewhere else.

I think Boston would be interest because Gordon is still a good player, whereas Gerald Wallace is a stiff.

Do you pay $10.1 million per year for three seasons for a guy who is absolutely guaranteed to have no value, or do you spend an extra $4 - $5 million per year and upgrade the stiff to a guy who is a top-50 scorer (i.e., on Jeff Green's level)?

Yeah good point. Gordon at least has "upside" as an asset alone, while Wallace will only get worse from here. Just a question on if that upside is worth the extra money?

Danny will surely sniff around and if he could swap contracts with a small sweetner, he'd be interested.

[Sketch5]

It's funny how many people are willing to pay Gordon 15 mill a year, but when they talk about Hayward, very few wants part of paying him probably around 8 to 10 mill.

I'd rather go after Hayward and pay him 8 to 10 for 4 years than an undersized SG with bad knees at 15 mill for the next 2.5 seasons.

Neither are going to win you a title, but Hayward I think would be a nice 3 piece next to Rondo and player X.

[Roy H.]

It's funny how many people are willing to pay Gordon 15 mill a year, but when they talk about Hayward, very few wants part of paying him probably around 8 to 10 mill.

I'd rather go after Hayward and pay him 8 to 10 for 4 years than an undersized SG with bad knees at 15 mill for the next 2.5 seasons.

Neither are going to win you a title, but Hayward I think would be a nice 3 piece next to Rondo and player X.

Yeah, but in this scenario, the choices aren't Hayward at $10 million or Gordon at $15 million, are they?

Rather, they're Gerald Wallace at $10.1 million, or Gordon at $14.5 million.  Gordon is overpaid, but he's not nearly as overpaid as Wallace is.