re: Eric Gordon out tonight

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We all know Eric Gordon wanted to sign with Phoenix last summer and many around the league believe he would still rather not be in New Orleans. That's prompted several clubs to call the Hornets about Gordon's availability. Those calls, in turn, led New Orleans to start calling around to gauge Gordon's trade value.

So would New Orleans trade him?

I'm told a Gordon trade this season is highly unlikely, with one source with knowledge of the situation telling ESPN.com this week that, as things stand, there's "less than a 10 percent chance'' New Orleans would move Gordon before the deadline. Still, the fact that the Hornets made calls around the league implies that they are at least warming up to the idea of moving him at some point.

Word is Dallas, Houston and Golden State are among the teams that have inquired about him. Houston envisions playing him alongside James Harden and Jeremy Lin in its fast-paced system, with Harden at small forward.

Of course, both Houston and Dallas view Gordon as Plan B. Both clubs are saving their max cap room this summer to make a run at the disgruntled one, Dwight Howard. If that falls through, the loser(s) will turn their eyes to Gordon, among others.

Gordon is only one of the many options Houston would consider if it can't land Howard. Several executives have said the Rockets have interest in Philadelphia's Andrew Bynum, assuming Bynum returns from his knee injury for a significant chunk of the season's second half and plays up to his typical All-Star form.That might be a big assumption, though, with Bynum's recent comments about still suffering pain in his knee.
Granger is not as available as some would think.

Whatever the case, the Rockets aren't expected to be as active next week as they typically are around the deadline because of their desire to save their cap space for the summer. I'm told they're not in play for Zach Randolph, Danny Granger or Pau Gasol, as has been often rumored.

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