On December 17, Beijing time, according to NBA reporter Mark Berman, the Knicks have discussed internally about trading Rockets player Eric Gordon. Although Gordon did not perform well in the game against the Knicks after this news, scoring only 5 points on 2-of-8 shooting (but delivering 9 assists), he averaged 14.7 points per game this season and shot 43.4% from three-point range, so the Knicks should not change their plans just because they didn't play well in 1 game.
So the question is, if the Knicks want Gordon, what chips should the Rockets ask for? As a young team, what the Rockets need most is naturally young players and draft picks. Considering Gordon's annual salary, market value and rocket personnel (the current personnel has exceeded the standard and needs to be laid off to sign Matthews), a 2-for-1 deal may make both sides win-win.
The Knicks sent Kemba Walker, Knox, a first-round pick and a second-round pick to get Gordon from the Rockets. The Knicks can strengthen the lineup, the Rockets can also get the most needed draft picks, and Walker and Knox's contract will not affect the team's future, it is a win-win situation, and the idea of this deal will be explained in detail below.
First of all, for the Knicks, whether it is Kemba Walker or Knox, they have fallen out of the team rotation, and they still have the Hornets, the Lone Rangers' first-round picks and a large number of second-round picks, and the draft rights are overflowing, in this case, it is possible to use draft picks and players who are not in rotation to change to Gordon, which is an improvement to the overall strength of the team.
Second, for the Rockets, the deal can be seen as knox + first-round pick for Gordon, and the second-round pick is the Knicks' compensation for the Rockets to take over Walker. Knox is the first round of the No. 9 show in 18 years, 2 meters 01 tall, and averaged 12.8 points and 4.5 rebounds per game in his rookie season, but in the last two seasons, his performance has become worse and worse, averaging only 8.9 minutes per game this season, with 4.1 points and 1.8 rebounds.
The former lottery show will expire his contract after the end of this season, and now the value can only be equivalent to an expired contract, and an expired contract + first-round change of Gordon's level of players, is a more reasonable deal plan, such as the Rockets got Lou Wei from the Lakers that year, that is, using Cavalry Company Commander Brewer and a first-round signing as a chip. Gordon and Love are of similar level, and the value of the transaction is similar.
Finally, speaking of Kemba Walker, some people may think that Walker has now been abandoned by the Knicks, his contract is 2 years 17.9 million US dollars, this season's annual salary of 8.73 million US dollars, only 1 second round show to eat his contract, it seems a little uneconomical. After all, under normal circumstances, a second-round pick can sell for about $3 million at most, for example, the Warriors spent $3.8 million to buy Jordan Bell's draft pick that year, which is almost 5 million cheaper than Walker's current contract.
But the problem is that in this deal, Gordon's salary is also more than $4 million more than Walker and Knox, so if the Knicks' second-round pick is considered $3 million, that is, the Rockets can make a profit of $7 million through this deal. The Rockets have played 29 games this season, and if Walker is traded, he will play a maximum of 63 more games, and his remaining annual salary is about $6.7 million based on Walker's average salary of more than $100,000 per game. So if the Rockets get Walker and a second-round pick, at least from the salary situation this season, they will not lose, but can also make a slight profit.
If Walker wants to pursue results and seek a buyout after the trade, then the Rockets can negotiate with him, only give him this season's salary, and not execute the contract for next season, so that the Rockets can be regarded as making hundreds of thousands of dollars. And if Walker wants to stay on the team, or doesn't agree with the amount of the buyout, the Rockets can accept it. Because Walker can still average 11.7 points per game this season and shoot 41.3% from three-point range, even if his defense is poor, he still has a certain combat effectiveness.
And the Rockets are different from the Knicks, Thibodeau is a defensive coach and has performance requirements, so he will abandon Walker. But the Rockets can let Walker play as a substitute, bring new people, and when it becomes an expiring contract next season, they can also trade him as a chip again.
Therefore, this transaction is profitable for both parties, and it will not hurt the bones, so it is completely possible to talk about it. Of course, because Ofgern has performed well this season, the Knicks are certainly not the only team that intends to be his team, so the Rockets can also look at the price of other teams, and if there is a better offer, then it can also be follow-up negotiations and operations.