Eric Gordon Trade Rumors: Hornets Reportedly Shopping Star Shooting Guard

It’s clear that the New Orleans Hornets and Eric Gordon both need a breath of fresh air.

The two parties have had a tenuous relationship at best since the star shooting guard joined the club in the winter of 2011. With the team receiving little return on its investment, it’s not too surprising to hear that the 24-year-old is on the block and could be moved by Thursday’s NBA trade deadline.

According to ESPN’s Chris Broussard, the Hornets have made Gordon openly available, but a deal isn’t likely to be struck by the cut-off date of Feb. 21 at 3 p.m. ET.

There likely aren’t many general managers jumping at the chance to gamble on Gordon’s knees, and the swingman also has a no-trade clause—at least for this season.

John Reid of The Times Picayune found that New Orleans would ideally like to swap the injury-plagued guard for Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors, but the Bay Area organization isn’t likely to send off one of its top young talents.

Another franchise that may be interested in Gordon is one to which he cannot be traded. As Reid noted, since New Orleans matched the Phoenix Suns' four-year, $58 million offer this past summer, shipping the shooting guard to the desert is not an option.

Gordon’s chronic knee issues prevent him from playing in back-to-back contests, making him a risky player to take a chance on at nearly $15 million a season. His lengthy recovery has limited him to appearances in just 19 games in the 2012-13 campaign, in which he holds averages of 16.6 points, 2.7 assists and 1.5 rebounds.

At his best, Gordon is a scoring machine with the ability to stripe the ball from deep and get to the rim using his stout 6’3”, 215-pound frame. Remember, the Indiana product was the main piece of the Los Angeles Clippers' package to land Chris Paul prior to last season.

If he can return to the form he displayed over his first three years in the league, Gordon should have no problem developing into a superstar player in the years to come. It will be interesting to see if another team takes a stab at his potential and puts together a lucrative offer.