The Knicks thought they had the steal of the summer in Kemba Walker, but 20 games into the season Tom Thibodeau had buried him in the rotation, starting Alec Burks instead. Since that move, the Knicks are 3-7 with a -4.5 net rating — they are still searching for the answer.
Is Eric Gordon the answer?
The Rockets guard is someone the Knicks have their eyes on, reports Marc Berman at the New York Post.Knicks point guard Derrick Rose has had Rockets shooting guard Eric Gordon on his radar. Now, with the Dec. 15 trade marker past, Knicks president Leon Rose does, too.
Gordon is on a long list of potentially available players the Knicks have talked about internally, according to a source.
Gordon and Rose played on the same AAU team, which is where their connection stems from.
With Walker out of the rotation, plus the outside shooting woes of Evan Fournier and Julius Randle, the Knicks need more 3-point shooting and shot creation. Gordon brings that to the table. He is shooting 43.4% from 3 this season (5.4 attempts a game), and he’s had a recent string of 20+ point games during the Rockets hot streak.
Gordon also turns the ball over more, is 33 with a history of injuries, and is owed a fully guaranteed $19.6 million next season (the season after that, he is owed $20.9 million, but that is non-guaranteed unless he is an All-Star or the Knicks win the title).
Gordon would be an upgrade, but enough of one to take on that salary? Or, are the Knicks better with more run for Immanuel Quickley plus rookies Quentin Grimes and Miles McBride. The Knicks may well see better uses for their trade chips.