Brooklyn Nets: Eric Gordon Could Be a One-year Rental
By Jay Siskin
Eric Gordon could help the Brooklyn Nets offense for a year in a situation similar to Rajon Rondo.
In 2012, Eric Gordon was on his way out of the New Orleans Pelicans organization after signing a four-year, $58 million qualifying offer with the Phoenix Suns as a restricted free agent when Alvin Gentry was the Suns’ head coach. But general manager Dell Demps made sure Gordon would remain a Pelican and matched the Suns’ offer immediately.
The New Orleans Pelicans guard showed flashes of his undeniable talent as a scorer in the NBA before his season ended prematurely between nagging injuries.
| Season | G | FG% | 3P% | eFG% | FT% | TRB | AST | STL | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-09 | 78 | .456 | .389 | .529 | .854 | 2.6 | 2.8 | 1.0 | 16.1 |
| 2009-10 | 62 | .449 | .371 | .525 | .742 | 2.6 | 3.0 | 1.1 | 16.9 |
| 2010-11 | 56 | .450 | .364 | .506 | .825 | 2.9 | 4.4 | 1.3 | 22.3 |
| 2011-12 | 9 | .450 | .250 | .486 | .754 | 2.8 | 3.4 | 1.4 | 20.6 |
| 2012-13 | 42 | .402 | .324 | .450 | .842 | 1.8 | 3.3 | 1.1 | 17.0 |
| 2013-14 | 64 | .436 | .391 | .498 | .785 | 2.6 | 3.3 | 1.2 | 15.4 |
| 2014-15 | 61 | .411 | .448 | .512 | .805 | 2.6 | 3.8 | 0.8 | 13.4 |
| 2015-16 | 45 | .418 | .384 | .521 | .888 | 2.2 | 2.7 | 1.0 | 15.2 |
Injuries have been part of the story when it comes to Gordon’s career since joining the league. He played in only nine games in 2011-12, his first season with New Orleans, but during that time he averaged an impressive 20.6 points per game. Gordon’s production began to decline afterwards, while his durability continued to cause issue, missing 40, 18, 21, and 37 games respectively over his next four seasons in the NBA.
The Pelicans are done with the Gordon experiment, according to John Reid of NOLA.com:
"“It appears unlikely the Pelicans will make a push this summer to re-sign Eric Gordon when he becomes an unrestricted free agent. The Pelicans actively shopped Gordon before last month’s trade deadline but couldn’t get a deal done. There’s also could be some motivation on Gordon’s part to seek a new start with another franchise.”– John Reid"
Why It Makes Sense For Both Sides
The former Hoosier is still a talented scorer, shooter, and secondary play-maker who can help any team — but only if he can stay on the floor. The Brooklyn Nets were behind the eight ball all season long and lacked scoring from the shooting guard position. According to HoopsStats.com, the Nets were 20th in scoring and 24th in offense efficiency at the position. Brooklyn was also near the bottom tier when it comes to three-point shooting at shooting guard, finishing 22nd in the league at 34 percent. Gordon shot above 38 percent from beyond the arc in his last three seasons. So he would be able to bolster the team’s shooting, which would allow more spacing for Brook Lopez and Thaddeus Young. It wouldn’t hurt to have more veteran presence as well.
At age 27, Gordon might be in a Rajon Rondo situation, looking to revive his career on a one-year deal, scoring a bigger contract in 2017-18. It makes sense for Brooklyn to make a move for him because the salary cap is rising to a possible $92 million, and the Nets have nothing to lose when it comes to a one-year gamble with Gordon. The team’s only draft pick in the 2016 draft is in the second round.
Matt Moore of CBS Sports has Gordon ranked 46th on his free agency list:
"“…He’s worth a gamble on a short-term, big-money deal, because he’s capable of turning in huge scoring performances if he ever gets his body right. New Orleans was just never a fit for him. He would be way higher on this list if it weren’t for injuries.”"
Next: Brandon Jennings As a Future Brooklyn Net?
It wouldn’t hurt for Brooklyn to throw a deal at Gordon this summer and see what happens. He will still have a market for his services because the NBA places such a premium on perimeter shooting.