JULY 7: Per Robbins, the four-year deal between Gordon and the Magic only amounts to $76MM in total value, with an average annual salary of $19MM. Gordon’s 2018/19 salary will be worth $21,590,909, decreasing by 8% of that amount each season through 2022.
JULY 6: The Magic have officially completed the signing of Gordon, according to Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter links), who notes that the annual salaries on the deal will decline each season, creating slightly more cap flexibility for Orlando in future years.
Orlando also finalized the signing of free agent point guard Isaiah Briscoe.
JULY 1: The Magic have reached an agreement on a four-year deal with restricted free agent Aaron Gordon, according to Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Charania reports that the four-year agreement will be worth $84MM, for an average annual value of $21MM.
According to Michael Scotto of The Athletic (Twitter link), no team or player options are included in the agreement. Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated (Twitter link) first reported that the Magic and Gordon were closing in on a deal.
Gordon had been a restricted free agent, so while he could have agreed to a new contract with another team, Orlando would have had the right to match any offer sheet he signed. As such, it made sense for the two sides to negotiate a new deal directly.
Gordon, 22, enjoyed a breakout season for the Magic in 2017/18. After averaging 9.7 PPG and 5.3 RPG in his first three years in the NBA, the former fourth overall pick upped his numbers to 17.6 PPG and 7.9 RPG in 58 games last season.
Gordon’s shooting numbers were slightly down in 2017/18, as he posted a career-worst .434 FG%. However, that was largely a result of his increased willingness to launch outside shots. Gordon attempted 5.9 threes per game, knocking them down at a 33.6% rate.
Although Gordon suggested multiple times as his free agency approached that he’d love to land a maximum-salary contract, that was always a long shot, given the lack of cap space available around the NBA. Still, the former Arizona Wildcat did well to land a guarantee in excess of $80MM. It’s the largest overall free agent commitment so far in 2018 for a player who didn’t get a max deal.
[RELATED: 2018 NBA Free Agent Tracker]
With Gordon back in the fold, the Magic will be an over-the-cap team and will have the mid-level and bi-annual exceptions available if they continue to explore free agent signings.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
That’s below what he wanted, young boy had to humble down. Good signing by the Magic but they still have no point guard.
I like the deal as well. I still think we need to at least kick the tires on Isaiah Thomas to see if he’s willing to take the MLE on a 1 year deal to rebuild who he is. If not, all out sprint on Kemba, giving up Vuc/Fournier/2020 OKC first.
I don’t like Kemba for the Magic, he’s not much of a play-maker. They are better off signing Isaiah Thomas since he is a better ball distributor and is more efficient on offense.
Ulis for cheap ?
If I’m Orlando, I’d do that then use him to recruit Booker to Orlando lol
Ulis!? Really? No way, Isaiah is their guy. He knows how to lead a team and run an offense as a veteran leader which is what this team needs more than anything.
Kemba averages 6 apg. That’s solid enough. The team needs scoring at that spot. Both options are good quality options. Obviously there’s risk involved with both.
Sometimes assists can be misleading, but in this case, with Kemba, he’s slowly but surely improved his court vision, passing, and playmaking abilities..
Right now, I would MUCH rather trust my team’s offense in the hands of Kemba, rather than IT..Especially since IT will be looking to re-establish himself as an all-star guard who can score 25+ ppg..I just think IT has more personally driven goals, rather than running an up and coming, young team’s offense..
So yeah, if I had to choose between the two, Kemba is easily my choice, and I’m not even giving it a second thought.
Who cares about your choice IT is a better floor general and the Magic need scoring so he can bring on all the scoring he can.
Charlotte area newspaper said Kemba isn’t on the market any more. They have the caproom to resign him next summer, he and Mitch Kupchak talked, and he wants to stay in Charlotte. Marvin Williams and Michael Kidd-Gilchrest’s contracts fall off next summer.
Hmmmm. Haven’t heard that idea thrown out there, but actually pretty savvy. Why not?
Wonder how this affects Jabari
Sign the qualifying offer with Milwaukee like Nerlens Noel did with Dallas last year.
I feel like they could have kept him for cheaper in this market. Now I’m curious to see who plays the 3 between him and Isaac. Regardless, they’re pretty lengthy defensively
Gordon played 91% of his minutes at the 4. Isaac probably comes off the bench as a 4 but will get minutes at the 3 next to AG. Gordon will probably guard more 4s when they’re on the court together due to his weight.
That was my point. They’re both 4s
This is an extreme overpay based on where he is as a player. He was overdrafted, and is under developed. I don’t think he and Issac fit, and Issac is younger and cheaper. A trade last year or a sign and trade now would have been better.
Agree, but since I thought he would get even more, this announcement is more soothing than SMH.
IDK why exactly but I think his offense throws teammates off somehow. Orlando needs a strong personality at the 1, like IT, Rondo, Calderon, JarretJack, or TonyParker. DJ Augustin, their only 1 so far, not so much.
True. Maybe there was a market at this price, in which event it was better to sign him directly than deal with the trade restrictions of matching an offer sheet. It may not all be on him (three coaches in his first two seasons, and then a fourth in his 3rd, along with the attempts to turn him into a perimeter option). The new regime has some pedigree in talent evaluation and development. He did show improvement last year. But it will be hard to develop both Gordon and Issac going forward. Maybe a trade at some point.
Agree that a veteran PG would be right for a team like this, and I think they’ll go in that direction.
Nobody had caproom.
Yeah, with an age of 22 Gordon is practically done. Way too old for today’s NBA.
Let’s win championships with an all-rookie team! It’s cheap and worked so well for everyone else in the past. Geezers like Steph Curry, LeBron and KD have been washed up for several years now. Totally overrated and not worth their money!
It was a fair deal. Orlando will have cap space out there next year. Aaron is not a main player but a team’s third. Orlando has to have someone they lost Tobias and Victor for nothing.