The Philadelphia 76ers are trading veteran guard Eric Gordon to the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Philadelphia 76ers are cutting ties with a veteran guard just hours before the trade deadline.
The 76ers are trading Eric Gordon and a 2032 second-round pick swap to the Memphis Grizzlies for the rights to Justinian Jessup, per ESPN's Shams Charania and NBCS' John Clark.
"The Philadelphia 76ers are trading Eric Gordon and a 2032 second-round pick swap to the Memphis Grizzlies, sources tell ESPN. This gives the 76ers the flexibility to complete conversion of two-way Dominick Barlow," Charania posted to X.
This is Philadelphia's second move prior to the deadline, as it sent sophomore guard Jared McCain to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday afternoon.
Gordon rarely cracked the rotation for the Sixers, averaging 5.5 points on 57.1% shooting in just six appearances this season. He, alongside Kyle Lowry, was the veteran leader of a youthful backcourt led by Tyrese Maxey and V.J. Edgecombe.
He now joins a Grizzlies team seemingly looking to kickstart a rebuild after moving on from 2023 Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr. in a trade with the Utah Jazz.
Barlow and Jabari Walker are more likely than ever to be converted to standard contracts after this trade, but it's worth noting this trade was not needed to convert the surprise forwards to regular deals.
Barlow has been arguably the biggest surprise for Philadelphia this season, averaging 8.4 points and 5.1 rebounds on 55% shooting in 40 appearances and 33 starts. He had his best performance of the season on Monday in a win over the Los Angeles Clippers, as he recorded 26 points, 16 rebounds, and two steals on 10 of 16 shooting in 35 minutes of action.
Meanwhile, Walker doesn't play nearly as much as Barlow, but his impact remains felt. He is averaging 3.7 points and 3.1 rebounds on 40.3% shooting in 45 games played.
Trading Gordon's $3.6 million contract for no salary in return pulls the 76ers even further below the luxury tax but may make some question why the front office decided to deal McCain. It's unlikely Gordon will play much in Memphis, but his services as a locker room presence were undoubtedly appreciated in Philadelphia.
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