Hornets Willing To Engage In Eric Gordon Talks

Last summer, when he signed a four-year, maximum-salary offer sheet with the Suns, Eric Gordon released a statement saying that his heart was in Phoenix, rather than New Orleans. The Hornets matched the Suns' offer and retained Gordon, and while there's been uncertainty about the relationship between the player and team, the 24-year-old has told Hornets officials he's content in New Orleans, according to Sam Amick of USA Today.

Even though Gordon hasn't requested a trade and the Hornets haven't actively explored a deal, New Orleans has been willing to engage in trade discussions about Gordon, a rival executive tells Amick. Agent Rob Pelinka has also been open to the idea of his client being moved, according to Amick. However, any deal this season would require Gordon's approval, and no discussions about where he may want to go have taken place between him and the team.

Speaking to Amick, Gordon expressed a commitment to the Hornets, though he stopped short of saying he envisioned himself in New Orleans long-term.

"You never know what could happen," Gordon said. "The main thing right now is to really focus on this team. After thinking about my injuries and everything, everything is year by year with me. I have to focus on this year. I don't know what's going to happen. You never know what's going to happen."

Looking back on the offer sheet he signed with the Suns last summer, Gordon also questioned whether the Hornets are 100% committed to him long-term, since GM Dell Demps didn't share his vision for the club with Gordon and the team wasn't interested in offering him a five-year deal.

"At the end of the day it was all about what's the best situation for me," Gordon said. "I knew the Hornets were going to go through a rebuild, and Phoenix was also going through somewhat of a rebuild, but they were going to have more older guys. I just focused on what I felt was going to be best for me and it was very mind-boggling when the Hornets were talking about having me very, very long-term and then you have to sign with another team.

"You can say one thing and do another, but at the end of the day I don't get into it," Gordon continued. "With the things that I've been in with GMs, where I had one GM (former Clippers GM Neil Olshey) say that you'll never get traded and the next thing you know that ends up happening a few days later. And now you have another GM who says you're going to be here long-term, so you would expect that to be the longest term that you can for being a part of this team (contractually). And I am here long-term, but I could've had an opportunity to have five (years) instead of four."

For now, Gordon is simply happy to be healthy and back on the court, and is focused on the Hornets' success in the short-term, even if his long-term future isn't entirely clear.

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