4. Eric Gordon
The only reason Eric Gordon finds himself above Watanabe on this list, is because he is a proven player who has been in big moments before. Gordon spent seven seasons with the contending Houston Rockets, and the L.A. Clippers tried to make it work with him last season as well.
There’s little doubt the Clippers would have taken him back as well, with Gordon shooting 42.3 percent from deep and starting 11 out of 21 games played for the team, it was a no-brainer. Gordon also provided high level defending, taking the pressure off stars like Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, whenever they managed to get on the court.
Suns guard Eric Gordon went CRAZY in the clutch to lift the Bahamas over Argentina 🔥🇧🇸
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) August 21, 2023
The Bahamas win the Olympic Qualifying Tournament and will have an opportunity to qualify for the Olympics next year 👏pic.twitter.com/ijK062vUgB
Gordon has played with a ball-dominant player like James Harden in the past, and he has prospered. He would have continued to be a success with the Clippers too, but clearly felt he had a better chance to win it all with the Suns. His skills translate to any contender in the league, which is why Gordon is such a valuable trade asset.
Even better, Gordon has signed on for two years, and will make nearly $7 million during that time. Like Watanabe this gives any team trading for him the knowledge that they’d have the player for two seasons (assuming they were traded for this year). About the only drawback is the fact Gordon is 34, but his FIBA play for The Bahamas this summer was extremely promising.