<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (MikeDC @ Feb 12 2008, 02:22 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>My thoughts here:</div> So should I reply here or there? Gordon is worth more to the Bulls than he is to almost any other team. The Bulls built around his skillset by drafting a complimentary guard in Thabo. But to most other teams he's a luxury 6th man type and wouldn't get more than the MLE due to roster makeup (some teams already have their allotment of quality small guards), luxury tax concerns, or competitive concerns (Gordon doesn't fit Seattle's window, for example). I think these are the teams who would give him a contract averaging 10 million per year. Best fits: Portland (+Roy. +No quality small guy.), Cleveland (+Lebron +Could use another quality small guy), and Chicago (+Hinrich +Thabo +Horrible offense). Decent fits: Philadelphia (+Iguodala -Louis Williams), Atlanta (+No quality small guy + Joe Johnson -They need a PG +Billy Knight)
Gordon is worth no more than 10.5 million per year. But he's worth no less than 9.5 million per year if the Bulls want to keep him. Gordon is going to choose the situation that offers him the best combination of salary, playing time, and winning. In his point of view: Possible starting position + 6 million + championship contender >> 6th man + 9 million per year + 45 win team.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (rwj @ Feb 12 2008, 11:47 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>+Billy Knight)</div> LOL! I tend to think the Bulls can't look at it from the perspective of "we've built or will build around him" so he fits. How's that worked out with Allen Iverson or Ben Wallace (granted the Bulls didn't make much attempt to get a player complimentary to Wallace, but you know what I mean).
With so few teams with cap space, I really can't see any of them making a big play for Gordon. I think he is going to go the QO route.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (JayJohnstone @ Feb 15 2008, 09:37 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>With so few teams with cap space, I really can't see any of them making a big play for Gordon. I think he is going to go the QO route.</div> It's looking that way to me as well, although I think some team could come in and try to leverage something even if it doesn't have cap space (a la the Knicks with Crawford a few years ago). It's also possible, I think, that some team makes a big enough offer to Deng that we match it and then have to pay the tax even if Gordon is on the QO. At this point I have no idea.
Ben Gordon is not worth much more than Leandro Barbosa, who signed a 5 year 33 million dollar deal. I'm predicting he'll get Bonzi'ed waiting for a payoff that won't come, and then end up signing a MLE deal somewhere. Undersized shooting guards or "combo guards" are a dime a dozen in the NBA, and very few teams will spend their precious cap space to sign one for more than 50 million. The few teams with cap space (ie. Memphis, Minnesota, Charlotte etc..) are small market teams that can't afford to go back over the cap. Miami has cap space, but they also have Wade who plays the same position. Seattle has cap space but don't want anyone taking shots away from Durant.
I actually think Barbosa's a better player who signed a smaller contract than he'd probably get under other circumstances. So yeah, that's what I'd push Gordon against. At the MLE or even above I've got no problem with Gordon but it's got to be put into the context of where he fits on the team. If the team we're talking about is already paying Andres Nocioni a king's ransom to be a backup, then that's a problem.
