Guard Eric Eric said he believed the exchange that sent James Harden to the Brooklyn Nets allows the Houston Rockets to have “real direction” under coach Stephen Silas in the first year after a chaotic start to the season.
“Obviously, you could tell from the summer and since the season started that he didn’t want to be here,” said Gordon after Thursday’s shootaround, when he was the only member of the organization available to the media. “For us, I think it gives us a chance to [have] a real direction. Everyone else on the team can improve and not worry about the situation. We can just move on. “
Gordon was later excluded from Thursday’s game against the San Antonio Spurs.
The Rockets announced a three-team deal with the Nets and the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday morning. Houston’s net bid in the deal is four choices in the first round (the Nets in 2022, 2024 and 2026 and Milwaukee in 2022 via Cleveland), the right to exchange players from the first round with the Nets in four other years, Cavs guard Dante Exum and former Nets guard Caris LeVert and striker Rodions Kurucs. LeVert will be redirected to the Indiana Pacers in a separate exchange for former All-Star owner Victor Oladipo, the sources said.
The deal brought a solution after a few embarrassing months in which Harden demanded a switch, stayed out of the training camp and declared that the Rockets “just aren’t good enough” after Tuesday night’s loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, which ended up being the final MVP game of 2018 in a Houston uniform.
“On behalf of the entire Rockets organization and the city of Houston, I would like to thank James Harden for the incredible eight seasons in a Rockets uniform,” said Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta in a statement. “James gave us great memories of watching him grow from the Sixth Man of the Year to an eternal All-Star and MVP. My family and I also want to thank James for his many contributions outside the courts, including generous charitable donations and various events. annual community events. We wish James good luck and we will always be grateful for the memories. “
The rocket center, DeMarcus Cousins, criticized Harden for being “disrespectful” hours before the deal closed on Wednesday, saying Harden’s antics and comments were “completely unfair” to his Houston comrades.
Gordon, who arrived in Houston before the 2016-17 season and was Harden’s oldest Rockets teammate, did not take Harden’s comments so harshly.
“For me, meeting him in person, I don’t think he really meant it as much as disrespecting us,” said Gordon. “That’s just for me. I think he just wanted a different situation. He kind of showed it and also said it … I don’t think he really wanted to disrespect the players, but he wanted a way out. And he did it.”