NBA Free Agency: Eric Gordon to sign with Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets said goodbye to Dwight Howard on Friday, and on Saturday, they agreed to a deal with free agent guard Eric Gordon.

Eric Gordon battled through an injury-plagued season during the 2015-16 campaign, appearing in only 45 games for the New Orleans Pelicans. On Saturday, Gordon said goodbye to the Pelicans, and according to The Vertical, he agreed to a 4yr/$53 million dollar contract with the Houston Rockets.

It was the team’s second big signing of the day, as they agreed with forward Ryan Anderson on a four-year deal earlier in the day. The team met with Gordon and his agent in Southern California, and the two agreed on the contract.

Anderson, who played with Gordon last season in New Orleans, will team with Gordon to give the team more of a punch offensively next season under new Head Coach Mike D’Antoni. The organization is trying to build around All-Star guard James Harden, as they try to rebound from a 41-41 season in 2015-16.

The team lost center Dwight Howard on Friday, as he signed with the Atlanta Hawks, so they are obviously looking to go in a new direction.

For Gordon, he will be looking for a fresh start in Houston, as well as trying to stay healthy. The knock on him has been that he is very talented, but he cannot seem to keep himself out of the training room. Last season, it was a fractured finger that kept him out of the lineup, but he had successful surgery and will be ready for next season.

He has battled knee injuries during his career as well, but he still garnered interest from plenty of teams this off-season. Aside from the Rockets, Gordon also drew interest from the New York Knicks and Memphis Grizzlies, but he will be in Houston when the season tips off.

For more NBA Free Agency news, check out our hub page.