The Rockets continue to be hit hard by the injury bug, with shooting guard Eric Gordon the latest player to be ruled out. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Gordon is expected to miss approximately the next four to six weeks due to a moderate right groin strain.
Gordon strained his groin during the Rockets’ loss to Sacramento on Thursday night. He was listed as out for Friday’s game vs. Utah and had been scheduled to undergo an MRI Friday to assess the severity of the injury.
Gordon, 32, has had a fairly solid season for the Rockets, despite all the obstacles Houston has faced so far in 2020-21. He’s averaging 17.8 points per game on .433/.329/.825 shooting in 27 games (29.2 MPG).
As Wojnarowski points out (via Twitter), Gordon would have been a trade candidate at this month’s deadline. With his injury, he now looks like a safe bet to finish the season in Houston. The veteran guard remains under contract for three more seasons after this one, although his salary in that third year is non-guaranteed.
The Rockets signed Mason Jones to a 10-day contract earlier Friday to help fill the gap at shooting guard created by Gordon’s injury.
In addition to Gordon and P.J. Tucker, who is expected to be traded, Houston is missing Christian Wood (ankle), John Wall (knee), David Nwaba (wrist), Danuel House (knee), Dante Exum (calf) and Rodions Kurucs (oblique). The hope is that some of those players will be able to return soon.
