In the days leading up to the 2022 NBA Draft, the Milwaukee Bucks were reportedly attempting to make a trade that would have shaken up their roster.
According to The Athletic’s Kelly Iko (subscription required), the Bucks were among a handful of teams before the draft to call the Houston Rockets on Eric Gordon. Iko notes that the Bucks even had an offer for Gordon on the table that included a first round pick, highlighting that their interest was beyond just checking in on the former Sixth Man of the Year’s availability. Though the Rockets reportedly rejected all of the trade offers for Gordon from at least six teams, Iko notes that they could still be willing to deal him if their asking price is met, meaning the Bucks could still have a shot. If they remain interested in adding the veteran, here are the pros and cons of making a legitimate push to bring him aboard.
NBA Trades: The pros of the Milwaukee Bucks trading for Eric Gordon
On the surface, there is no shortage of reasons why the Milwaukee Bucks’ interest in Eric Gordon makes sense.
First, Gordon could be the perfect spark to strengthen this Milwaukee bench on the offensive end. It is no secret that the second unit had their share of struggles contributing offensively throughout last season, having averaged the 27th most points per game during the 2021-22 regular season, according to NBA.com/stats. While the Bucks will be getting a big boost in that regard next year as Bobby Portis likely returns to a full-time bench role, the Bucks could look to improve their scoring efforts by adding Gordon.
Since he primarily became a bench player over the past six seasons, the two guard has been one of the best second unit scorers in the NBA by averaging 16.1 points while shooting 36.1 percent from 3-point territory on an eye-popping 8.1 attempts. Numbers like that would make the Bucks stronger offensively by giving them another lethal scorer that can give the offense a lift when they are struggling, which was a major factor they lacked throughout the 2022 NBA Playoffs.
Experience is another valuable attribute that Gordon would bring to the table, as the 33-year-old has been through his share of playoff battles. The guard has appeared in 55 playoff games during his career, having played a key role in several deep postseason runs with the Rockets. Bringing in a player that has garnered that experience over the years could help the Bucks as they look to bring home another championship by giving them another battle-tested veteran.