Ben Gordon

Former No. 3 Overall Pick Ben Gordon Arrested Again

Ben Gordon was arrested on a felony robbery charge over the weekend in Los Angeles, according to ESPN. He spent three nights in jail and was released on $50K bail early this morning.

Gordon allegedly took money from a manager of an apartment complex he rented, claiming that the amount was owed to him as his security deposit. The former UConn Huskie is accused of punching the manager and pulling a knife on him in order to get the funds.

This is the latest in a troubled year for the former No. 3 overall pick. Earlier this month, he was arrested for driving with a forged license plate. Late last month, he was ordered to undergo a psychiatric evaluation after a woman claimed Gordon had locked her in a store he owned after becoming physical while throwing and destroying things. The woman told police Gordon’s behavior stemmed from an argument between the two and the authorities later found Gordon locked in the bathroom of that store.

Back in June, Gordon was arrested for pulling fire alarms at his apartment complex after locking himself out of his Los Angeles home. Upon arrival, authorities found no threat of a fire and Gordon was charged with a misdemeanor.

The 34-year-old last played in the NBA for the Magic during the 2014/15 season, though he attempted a comeback last season, suiting up for the G League’s Texas Legends.

And-Ones: Saunders, Gordon, Prigioni

It’s been two years since Timberwolves icon Flip Saunders, then the franchise’s president of basketball operations, passed away from Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The man’s impact on the organization is still felt to this day, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic writes.

Saunders played a vital role in the club’s recent return to relevance both from a business and personnel perspective. The celebrated executive’s touch can be seen at all levels of the organization from the new practice facility that Saunders helped design to the transactions he made in the wake of David Kahn‘s time at the helm from 2009 to 2013.

Saunders remains the only head coach in franchise history to lead the team to the playoffs, having done so eight times from 1997-2004 during his first run with the franchise. Since 2006, the team has cracked a .400 win percentage only once.

I made a promise to Flip Saunders that we would win and end the playoff drought,” current franchise cornerstone Karl-Anthony Towns said on the media day of his rookie season shortly before Saunders passed. “And I intend to keep that promise.

There’s more from around the league:

  • Former NBA player Ben Gordon has run into trouble with the law, Jonathan Bandler of The Journal News writes. The 34-year-old wasn’t ultimately charged following a confrontation between himself and a woman at his business but police were called to the scene and he was hospitalized for psychiatric evaluation.
  • The journey into the business world continues for Kobe Bryant. As Darren Rovell of ESPN writes, Bryant has approached his investments with the same obsessiveness that he did his NBA career.
  • Retired NBA guard Pablo Prigioni is stepping down from his role as the head coach of Liga ACB team Baskonia, Orazio Cauchi of Sportando writes. The team has gotten off to a rocky start and it’s said that Prigioni has lost control of the situation.

Former NBA Player Ben Gordon Arrested

Ben Gordon was arrested early this morning in Los Angeles for pulling multiple fire alarms in his apartment building, according to TMZ Sports. The publication claims Gordon was locked out of his apartment and decided to pull many of the alarms.

Gordon was taken into custody when the police and fire department arrived to find that there was no fire. He’s being charged with falsely activating a fire alarm, which is a misdemeanor in California.

The 34-year-old shooting guard played for the Mavericks’ D-League affiliate this past season in an attempt to draw NBA interest. He last played in the NBA during the 2014/15 campaign with the Magic.

Ben Gordon To Join D-League

Ben Gordon has signed a D-League contract, according to Adam Johnson of D-League Digest (Twitter link). Gordon will be placed on waivers, per D-League rules, and the Windy City Bulls, Chicago’s affiliate, currently own the top waiver order spot.

The Bulls selected Gordon with the No. 3 overall pick in 2004 and he played five seasons with the franchise before signing a lucrative five-year deal with the Pistons during the summer of 2009. He was traded to Charlotte halfway through that deal, and the team waived him before he was able to finish the contract.

The 33-year-old Gordon last played in the NBA for the Magic during the 2014/15 season. He’s a career 40.1% shooter from behind the arc and he could look use the D-League as a path toward returning to the NBA, as Gary Neal just did.

Poll: Ben Gordon’s Future

Ben Gordon‘s first preference is to return to the NBA for the upcoming season, but if he can’t find an NBA team willing to give him a shot, the veteran guard is open to opportunities overseas. An August report suggested as much, and Gordon himself confirmed this week that he wouldn’t mind landing with a Euroleague team.

“I’m open to any contract offers. Obviously the NBA is my main goal but if the offer in the Euroleague is good, it will be a great opportunity for me,” Gordon told John Hobbs of TalkBasket.net. “End of the day though, I’m just going to look at my options and evaluate what’s best for me and if it falls in the NBA or the Euroleague or elsewhere, then I’ll head there.”

Although he was waived by the Warriors during the 2015 preseason and averaged just 14.1 minutes per contest during his most recent NBA season, with the Magic in 2014/15, Gordon could still be a productive bench player. He’s only 33 years old, and while he’s not the prolific scorer that he once was, he has made more than 40% of his three-point attempts throughout his career, including 36.1% in ’14/15.

Of course, even if an NBA team had interest in Gordon as an 11th or 12th man who could come off the bench and make some threes, that role may not strongly appeal to the former third overall pick. With a Euroleague club, he could potentially earn more minutes and a more significant role.

What do you think? Will Gordon find an NBA job this year, or in a future season, or are his NBA playing days behind him? Vote in our poll and weigh in below in the comments section with your thoughts!

Trade Rumors App users, click here to vote.

Latest On Ben Gordon

Ben Gordon didn’t appear in an NBA game during the 2015/16 season, but he hasn’t given up on the idea of returning to the league. And it appears the NBA isn’t the only league he’s considering. According to international basketball journalist David Pick (via Twitter), Gordon likes the idea of playing ball overseas.

Pick clarifies that, despite an earlier report, Gordon has not received a contract offer from Anadolu Efes, a team located in Istanbul. It’s not clear whether the Turkish club has interest in Gordon, but according to Pick, no offer from Anadolu Efes is on the table for the veteran guard at the moment.

Although he was waived by the Warriors during the 2015 preseason and averaged just 14.1 minutes per contest during his last season in the NBA, with the Magic, Gordon recently expressed a desire to continue his playing career.

I would definitely love to get back in the league after being out for a year,” Gordon told Ian Begley of ESPN.com earlier this month. “Just watching the way the game is being played, up and down. Obviously, the three-point shot is always a big deal but it seems like just now, more than ever, that shot is being used more and more. So I feel like I can still play at a high level and shoot that three-ball and add that kind of depth to a team that may be looking to fulfill that need. So yeah, I definitely have hopes of making a return with an NBA team or just playing period, wherever that may be.

An 11-year veteran, Gordon scored more than 11,000 NBA points during his time in Chicago, Detroit, Charlotte, and Orlando. In his 744 regular-season contests, the 33-year-old has averaged 14.9 PPG and shot 40.1% on three-pointers.

Free Agent Notes: Gordon, T. Robinson, Spurs

Veteran guard Ben Gordon, who will suit up for Great Britain during the Eurobasket qualifiers in the coming weeks, tells Ian Begley of ESPN.com that he’s still looking for an opportunity to return to the NBA.

“I would definitely love to get back in the league after being out for a year,” Gordon said. “Just watching the way the game is being played, up and down. Obviously, the 3-point shot is always a big deal but it seems like just now, more than ever, that shot is being used more and more. So I feel like I can still play at a high level and shoot that 3-ball and add that kind of depth to a team that may be looking to fulfill that need. So yeah, I definitely have hopes of making a return with an NBA team or just playing period, wherever that may be.”

Here are a few more free agency notes and rumors from around the basketball world:

  • According to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link), the Spurs have been the “most vocal” team when it comes to showing interest in free agent power forward Thomas Robinson. A former fifth overall pick, Robinson spoke to Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders about the strides he feels he has made on and off the court since entering the league in 2012.
  • The Rockets made Andrew Goudelock a free agent last month by waiving him before his 2016/17 salary became guaranteed, and the veteran point guard has since found a new home. According to international basketball journalist David Pick (Twitter link), Goudelock has agreed to a $1.2MM deal with Israeli team Maccabi Tel Aviv. Emiliano Carchia of Sportando had passed along a report on the agreement between the two sides earlier today. Meanwhile, Pick tweets that Goudelock turned down a slightly larger offer from Turkish team Galatasaray.
  • LeBron James remains the top player who technically remains unsigned, but his free agency is such a non-story that Lee Jenkins’ latest piece on SI.com about the Finals MVP barely mentions it, with Jenkins noting that signing a new contract with the Cavaliers is merely a “formality.” Still, Jenkins’ story on LeBron is worth reading in full.

Warriors Waive Ben Gordon

The Warriors have waived shooting guard Ben Gordon, the team announced via a press release. Gordon’s minimum salary deal was non-guaranteed, so Golden State won’t be on the hook for any money as a result of this move. The veteran’s pact would have become partially guaranteed for $749,493 if he remained on the team’s roster past October 27th.

It doesn’t come as a shock that Gordon didn’t stick with the Warriors given their backcourt depth. The 32-year-old didn’t do much to impress during his two preseason appearances for the team, averaging just 1.0 points and 1.0 assists in 8.3 minutes per contest. By waiving Gordon, Golden State reduces its preseason roster count to 18 players, including 13 with full guarantees on their deals.

Gordon has appeared in 744 regular season games over the course of his NBA career, averaging 14.9 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists to accompany a slash line of .432/.401/.857. He has played for the Magic, Bulls, Pistons, and Hornets since joining the league as the No. 3 overall pick back in 2004.

Pacific Notes: Johnson, Morris, Barnes, Collison

Wesley Johnson grew tired of the individualism on the Lakers last season and sought a change this summer, as Janis Carr of the Orange County Register details. Johnson signed with the Clippers, citing the persistence of the front office that took a similar tack in its pursuit of Josh Smith, and the swingman praised the clear set of expectations that Doc Rivers has laid out for him, contrasting it to what he thought was a disjointed Lakers offense, Carr observes.

“You would go out there and want to play the right way, but everyone wanted to prove themselves,” Johnson said, according to Carr. “So nobody really knew what was going on. Nobody ever knew, so it was hard for anyone to come in and get into a good rhythm or flow. Nobody was playing together.”

See more from the Pacific Division:

Warriors Sign Ben Gordon

The Warriors have signed Ben Gordon, the team announced via press release. Marc Stein of ESPN.com reported last week that they were close to a deal, and Monte Poole of CSN Bay Area later reported that a signing was on the way (Twitter link). It’s unclear what sort of guaranteed money, if any, is involved, though it’ll have to be for the minimum salary, since Golden State doesn’t have the ability to pay him more after spending most of its taxpayer’s mid-level exception on Leandro Barbosa.

The market for Gordon, 32, hadn’t been robust after the Magic released him in June, almost a year after signing him to a two-year, $9MM deal. Orlando gave Gordon the fewest minutes per game (14.1) of his 11-year career and, with the second year of his deal non-guaranteed, decided to cut ties, despite somewhat of a bounceback performance for the former third overall pick, who’d shot a career-worst 27.6% from behind the arc for Charlotte in 2013/14. The Warriors have reportedly been seeking an extra shooter, and Gordon, a 40.1% three-point marksman, nailed 36.1% of his long-range attempts this past season.

It’ll be an uphill battle for Gordon to make the opening night roster. Coach Steve Kerr is high on James Michael McAdoo, who has a partially guaranteed contract, and 13 others have fully guaranteed deals. The addition of Gordon brings Golden State to 20 players, the preseason limit.

Will Gordon stick for the regular season? Comment to give your input.