Eric Gordon looking to start afresh with the New Orleans Hornets – NBA Update
When the Phoenix Suns made a very lucrative deal for restricted free agent Eric Gordon, the 23 year old decided to ask New Orleans Hornets management to not match the offer and allow him to go to the Desert Valley.
However, New Orleans always hinted towards matching the offer and they delivered on their promise by bringing Gordon back for his second year with the Hornets. This put the star guard in a tricky situation and he now has to re-start his relationship with the Hornets fan – something the people from Big Easy could take some time to acknowledge.
“I wish I could’ve done a little better with the fan perception,” Gordon said. “But also at the same time they don’t know the business perspective of how negotiations are handled. They don’t know how being a restricted free agent can be mind-boggling for a player….”
Ever since free agency began at the start of July, Gordon has been in constant touch with head coach Monty Williams; however one thing that disappointed him was that he received no word whatsoever from the Hornets management.
“All I could do was communicate with the coach,” Gordon said. “That was the only communication I had. My agent [Robert Pelinka] was the only one communicating with the GM and the other front-office people. That was very different for me to go through.”
Hornets have seen quite a few changes go on with their organization as well. They are now owned by Tom Benson who agreed to take over after reaching an agreement with NBA Commissioner David Stern, then owner of the club.
With a new owner at the helm, the New Orleans franchise is hoping to make a fresh start next season and having two top lottery picks is bound to get them on their way. They drafted Anthony Davis, Kentucky’s freshman sensation as their number one selection and followed it up by drafting Austin Rivers with their 10th pick.
Along with two strong picks, Hornets have also brought in Ryan Anderson over from Orlando Magic to build their franchise around a young core. This is the only thing that might work in favour of Gordon who can help the Hornets retain a young foundation as they look to be a strong team in the coming years.
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