2023 NBA trade deadline: Rockets bring back a familiar face and say goodbye to a veteran
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- And the deal is done! The 2023 NBA trade deadline is behind us with some big names joining a loaded Western Conference and Houston Rockets in the mix. The question is: what did they do?
The deadline swaps began picking up days before, with players on the move until the early morning hours of Wednesday and Thursday with blockbuster trades.
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Star forward on the Brooklyn Nets, Kevin Durant, is heading back to the west and joining former Rockets player Chris Paul at the Phoenix Suns after Nets guard Kyrie Irving shook up the east and moved to the Dallas Mavericks.
Former Houston Rockets guard Russell Westbrook and a 2027 first-round draft pick were sent to the Utah Jazz from the Los Angeles Lakers, who acquired point guard D'Angelo Russell from the Minnesota Timberwolves and Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt from the Utah Jazz.
WHO IS LEAVING SPACE CITY? WHO IS COMING?
In a move that some saw coming since James Harden's 2021 trade to the Brooklyn Nets, the Rockets have said goodbye to 34-year-old vet Eric Gordon.
According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Los Angeles Clippers acquired their former point guard, Gordon, who they drafted in 2008, in a multi-team deal that includes the Memphis Grizzlies.
In 2019, Gordon signed a $54.5 million deal with the Rockets that would've taken him to the end of the 2022-2023 NBA season.
RELATED: Sources: Rockets, Gordon reach $54.5M deal
In trading him, the Rockets will receive Danny Green from Memphis, who will send their shooting guard, Luke Kennard, to the Clippers for three second-round draft picks.
Also included in the deal is former Houston Rockets guard John Wall. The former No. 1 draft pick is being shipped back to Houston for the second time in his career from the LA Clippers.
If you recall, John Wall sat out the entirety of the 2021-2022 season after exercising his player option in the final year of his contract with the Rockets, as previously reported by ESPN.
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Wall had been traded to the Rockets from the Washington Wizards, where he spent 11 years since 2010, for Westbrook in 2020.
Wall signed a two-year deal with the Clippers after agreeing to a buyout in the summer of 2022.
SEE ALSO: John Wall set to join LA Clippers after reaching buyout with Houston Rockets, sources say
In another move, the Rockets are sending forward Bruno Fernando and guard Garrison Matthews to the Atlanta Hawks, according to ESPN.
The deal gives the Rockets two forwards, Justin Holiday and Frank Kaminsky, along with two second-round draft picks.
