JULY 6: The Suns have officially signed Gordon, the team announced in a press release.
“Eric is a winning player who will make our team more dynamic and help us in our pursuit of an NBA championship,” general manager James Jones said in a statement.
JULY 2: The Suns have reached an agreement with free agent guard Eric Gordon, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets. Gordon had multiple suitors and turned more lucrative offers to join one of the prime contenders for the 2024 championship, Charania adds (Twitter link).
It’s a two-year contract with a player option, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic tweets. Due to its salary-cap issues, Phoenix could only offer Gordon the veteran’s minimum after he passed through waivers.
Gordon became a free agent when the Clippers declined to guarantee his $20.9MM salary for next season. The Clippers had luxury tax issues and decided to give Gordon’s minutes to younger players.
Gordon now becomes at least a key second-unit performer on a potentially powerhouse team. He could be the leading scorer off the bench while playing alongside Cameron Payne or Damion Lee in the backcourt. It’s conceivable Gordon could slide into the starting unit with Devin Booker and Bradley Beal at the wing positions. He’s been a starter in 627 of 818 career NBA regular-season games.
After clearing waivers, Gordon had narrowed his choices to the Suns, Warriors and Rockets, according to Kelly Iko of The Athletic (Twitter link). The Warriors had made Gordon their top backcourt target on the free agent market via a veteran’s minimum deal, Anthony Slater of The Athletic tweets. However, the pathway to minutes in Golden State’s backcourt — with the addition of Chris Paul — would have been murkier than the Suns’ current situation.
L.A. acquired Gordon from the Rockets in a three-team deal at the trade deadline. He averaged 11.0 PPG and shot 42.3% from three-point range in his 22 regular season games with the Clippers and put up similar numbers in the playoffs.
Gordon joins a host of other free agents who have reached agreements with the Suns in the early days of free agency. The Suns have also secured the services of Drew Eubanks, Keita Bates-Diop, Josh Okogie, Lee, Yuta Watanabe and Chimezie Metu.
The addition gives Phoenix a full 15-man roster. The Suns’ roster now exceeds $250MM in total payroll and luxury tax penalties, Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype notes (Twitter link).
Also known as the anti-FVV
I guess the second tax apron isn’t so scary after all. /s
I guess that’s what having five max players and ten min (or close to it) players does.
Correction: 4 max, 1 mid, and 10 min.
Wonder if the NBAPA will object to a guy that could get the full MLE 1/8th of that…
He will be 35 and has made 158M. This is the stage of the career where normal players take these type of deals to win a chip. Could he have gotten more, maybe, if someone had a role for him other than the vet min 8th-10th guy role.
He has more value because he has produced more. Look at the PJ Tucker contract at an older age. It usually becomes do you take 6M or the 3.5 vet min.
I think it has to be veteran minimum. Likely 1+1/po. Long way down from 20.9 mm. He’s made a bunch in his career, and can rationally do this.
Exactly. You hit the nail on the head. He’s already made a TON thru his career. Now he’s going to the best place possible to try and win a championship so sacrificing a little money probably hardly matters to Gordon. Great deal for both him and the suns
“the suns have no depth”
Suns are way over the cap and has no money in MLE so he must be taking a minimum contract.
That’s a pretty good bench the Suns have put together on a cap restricted budget.
Yeah, guys want to play with Durant when Kyrie isn’t there…
I had an inkling PHX would fill out better than the media painted the picture to be 2 weeks ago
Still hate them on the defensive side and last time I checked they play with only 1 ball still
Think its a foregone conclusion that Ayton makes it till at least the trade deadline now, can he give up some shots/personal stats and become the board gobbler/screen setter/defense precesne in the middle they need?…. The change has to start from a mentality standpoint, Im skeptical , this seems to be his weakest trait…but he’d be far from the first guy in the NBA to make these changes for the better
Foregone conclusion or not, I’d set the over/under on the number of proposed trades on this site involving Ayton between now and the deadline at around 100.
True, but if plays like a whiny self entitled brat the first 2 months ill be contributing quite a few myself at that point
Balls in his court really, the Vogel signing was his first big break, if he has an open ear to Frank he’s got a really good runway set ahead for him. Still, I’m skeptical
Suns will be tough but Denver will be ready!
For now Denver has gone weaker
Hahaha all the FA’s forcing GSW to sign bigs is hilarious. Why on earth do they keep blocking Moses Moody? Give Moody 30 MPG and he will show out. We don’t need really old short players, Steve. Stop this madness.
Kerr doesn’t assemble the roster. And, you still don’t seem to understand the warriors or their system. If Moody had earned the minutes he would be playing more. He’s incredibly inconsistent even when given regular time. The warriors literally changed the league from an iso-ball hog league to a ball movement sharp shooting league. Stop with your madness
Paper champs. Too bad they’re all made of paper mache. “Fragile, must be italian”!
Paper mâché is a french word and fragile IS also used in french …
America uses lots of foreign words. We are a melting pot, that includes words. This is why English people appear to be speaking a different language.
The reference went over your head aye
You deserve a Major Award for that reference!
They got the fire power
Lol thats funny. Give them the trophy now…
Payne and Gordon will be good off the bench. Eubanks will also be solid.
Ultimately I don’t think they will win the chip but I think they should be a good team
Really liked the Eubanks sign, they needed some sharp elbows Nasty in them on that frontline
Warriors need plumlee
Definitely took less to play here. Great addition for Suns. Absolutely a scorer and will get plenty looks here. He’ll be a big part of rotation. I’m sure that’s what sold him. Suns needed this.
There was a huge billboard of Gordon back when the Suns made him an offer he agreed to but SA matched. I believe that was 2012. Full-circle he finally gets here for the biggest test this franchise will ever have…they literally have few or no draft choices for the next 4 years. I saw my first NBA game with my oldest brother (A Rick Barry fan) at the Coliseum in 1975. Been a Suns fan ever since….got close in the Westphal era and again with Charles but no ceegar. Flopped the last two years…now or never.
New Orleans, not San Antonio, then he proceeded to pout and milk injuries for *the next four years*. And they weren’t gonna let him walk after one year when he was the big acquisition from New Orleans trading CP3 (him and the higher Clippers first round pick in 2012, which turned into Austin Rivers… yeesh…).
Oh look he finally got to reunite with his heart… (sticks it in a Smoothie King blender)
Let’s watch it spin around into a beautiful oblivion.