Eric Gordon, Suns Agree To Four-Year Contract

[jonathanlambert33]

Like I said, it's part of the game.

No matter though, if his heart is really in Phoenix and he doesn't want to come back, he won't touch the offer sheet with a 100 foot pole.

 

[jonathanlambert33]

Nothing that happened Tuesday night should, or will, dissuade the Hornets from locking up guard Eric Gordon, not even if he holds his breath and refuses to come out of his room if the Hornets don't grant him the freedom to join the Suns.

What, you were surprised that he had wonderful things to say about the Phoenix after signing a four-year, $58 million offer sheet late Tuesday? If so, you were being unrealistic in believing he wouldn't be complimentary - maybe even overly-complimentary - of the franchise that offered him the contract he wanted.

What matters now is that he's capable of being a professional once the Hornets match the offer sheet.

Now, if New Orleans general manager Dell Demps is convinced, by conversations with Gordon, that the shooting guard will be petulant and whiny and unwilling to give his best effort, then the Hornets will have a serious problem. If he can't give 100 percent and will spend his time in New Orleans mumbling under his breath, then this marriage can't work.

Because, by far, a healthy Gordon is New Orleans' best player. The franchise can't risk having his bad attitude poison the locker room and, especially, it can't have its rookies taking their lead from him if he's going to be a cancer.

But if Tuesday's agreement and bouquets are what they very likely could be - a player trying to say the right things about the franchise that is willing to fill his pockets - then rest assured that he'll say more, and better, during his news conference to announce his signing with the Hornets.

And fans will forgive and forget as soon as he makes a couple of game-winning plays.

Meanwhile, the best part of this is that Phoenix will have saved New Orleans some cash.

The Hornets could've gone as high as $79 million over five years to secure Gordons' services, could've maxed him out at roughly $16 million a year and not allowed him to get to the market as a restricted free agent. Instead, for a year and $21 million less, they'll get the player they don't want to part with and they'll get to watch him help the franchise improve, from a lottery team to a playoff team perhaps in the second year of Gordon's deal.

So Hornets fans should tamp down the eruption of bruised feelings that spewed when Gordon said Phoenix is where his "heart is now." And when word came out that he wasn't all that enamored with leading a pair of rookies, No. 1 overall pick Anthony Davis and No. 10 pick Austin Rivers, in New Orleans.

The fact is, while he's in the moment - and staring at a $58 million contract - a player might say many honeyed words about the team that's willing to give him that $58 million. And he might not say all the right things about the franchise that soon will cast its lot with him, that believed in him and protected his reputation while he played a grand total of nine games (out of 66) last season.

As long as he says the right things later, and is able to be a pro about what will happen, the Hornets don't have a problem. No one will.

and this is another very good article on it:

http://nba-point-forward.si.com/2012/07/04/eric-gordon-hornets-suns/