NBA trade rumors: Rockets turned down Bucks offer for Eric Gordon; The Hornets will take calls from Gordon Hayward

We’re now less than a month away from the 2023 NBA trade deadline on February 9, and unsurprisingly, the rumor mill is starting to heat up. This is the time when teams have to decide if they want to be buyers or sellers, and with Victor Wembanyama waiting in the 2023 NBA Draft, there may be more of the latter than usual.

Let’s take a closer look at some of the latest bits of information:

rockets refused Dollarsoffer for gordon

The Houston Rockets weren’t expected to be good this season, but things have gotten really tough over the last month or so. They have lost 12 straight games and 17 of their last 18 to fall in last place at 10-35. At this point, they’re better off staying there, so Eric Gordon is a prime candidate to move soon.

Gordon is the only remaining member of the Rockets’ 2018 Western Conference final team still on the roster, and he’s clearly not having a good time as a veteran. “There is no improvement” Gordon said in a recent interview, a damning indictment of not only his young teammates, but also the infrastructure that surrounds them.

Now 34, Gordon is well past his prime but could still be a useful bench scorer for a contender. He can create his own shot, he’s also been a solid shooter from the top spot throughout his career (36.4 percent on catch-and-shoot opportunities this season) and he gives you quite a bit of secondary plays.

He would be a perfect addition for the Bucks, who could use all of the above alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo. However, if Milwaukee wants to land Gordon, Jon Horst and company will have to outbid four second-round picks. The Rockets rejected that, according to marc stein, and expect a first-round pick for Gordon. That could be a problem for the Bucks, since they only own two of their futures first in 2028 and 2029.

hornets Will take calls in Hayward

The Charlotte Hornets are another team that has been a disaster this season. Between the Miles Bridges situation, injuries, and a complete lack of interest in playing defense, the once-promising Hornets are now among the worst teams in the league. His 12-34 mark is better only than the detroit pistons and the rockets.

One of the players who is frequently injured is veteran forward Gordon Hayward, who has been limited to 21 games this season and 114 games since signing with the club in 2020. Although he hasn’t shot the ball well all this season, he still he is a solid player in every way, with an average of 13.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.9 assists.

According to Stein, the Hornets are prepared to “take calls” about Hayward, which isn’t a surprise. They’re not going anywhere, and if they can get a decent return for Hayward at this point, they might as well. The thing is, he makes $30 million this year and $31 million next year and he gets hurt all the time. Contending teams would love to have a guy like Hayward, but they’d have to give up $30 million in salary to get him and hope he stays healthy, which means they probably won’t offer super-attractive assets in return.

Jazz have done Markkanen, Kessler off limits

The Utah Jazz have cooled off significantly since their incredible start, but they remain one of the most surprising teams this season. At 24-25, they sit eighth in the crowded middle of the Western Conference standings and are just two games out of fifth.

Where they go from here will be fascinating. After trading Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert last summer, everyone assumed they would be in super tank mode. Then they got off to such an incredible start that it looked like they might try to make the playoffs. Now, as the deadline approaches, they have a choice to make: continue to fight for the postseason, or send the veterans away and try to sink down the rankings after the All-Star break.

They’ve won too many games to come close to the worst teams, but they’re still only five games ahead of the orlando magic for the fifth worst record. They could still get into the mix for a high lottery pick if they exploit it soon. Until then, Stein reported that the team is willing to trade anyone besides Lauri Markkanen and Walker Kessler.

Markkanen, of course, makes sense. Since he came to the Mitchell deal, he has become an All-Star and has been by far his best player. However, Kessler is a bit of a surprise. Even though he’s been incredible in recent months and recently went 20-20, it’s fascinating that the Jazz see him as an irreplaceable part of their roster. No one would have expected him to be the most valuable player they received from the timber wolves in the Gobert deal.