JULY 11TH: The deal is official, the team announced via press release.
“Ben brings valuable experience to our team,” GM Rob Hennigan said in the team’s statement. “His competitiveness and ability to score and stretch the floor adds versatility to our backcourt and overall roster. We are excited to welcome Ben to the Orlando Magic family.”
JULY 2ND: The Magic and Ben Gordon have struck a deal on a two-year, $9MM arrangement, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. The second year is a team option, according to TNT’s David Aldridge (Twitter link). That’s a shocking amount for the shooting guard who ended last season out of the league after Charlotte waived him in March.
Orlando has made several cap clearing moves in recent days, but it’s nonetheless odd to see the team lob such a high-dollar offer Gordon’s way. There are no real teeth to the NBA’s minimum team salary rules, since the penalty for not reaching that amount holds that a team simply must distribute the difference between its team salary and the salary floor among its players.
The deal is a coup for agent Raymond Brothers. The Bulls, Clippers, Rockets and Thunder reportedly had interest in Gordon when he and the Bobcats were working on their buyout, but Charlotte wound up waiving him one day too late for him to participate in the playoffs with another team, an oddly timed move. Gordon was apparently reluctant to sign with some of those interested teams anyway, since they were dangling two-year deals that would have prevented him from hitting free agency this summer. As it turns out, that reluctance was wise.
Gordon, 31, played in just 19 games this past season, averaging career lows in points per game (5.2), minutes per game (14.7), and three-point shooting (27.6%), among a host of other categories. Once a feared sixth man, the Pistons dealt him to Charlotte in a 2012 deal that ultimately cost them the No. 9 overall pick this year to rid themselves of the last two years of his five-year, $58MM contract.
Orlando might be having the worst offseason in NBA history.
Why? Great draft, ditched AAA and lamb, and made a low risk claim of WG. this Gordon deal isn’t that bad considering they have boatloads of cap room and won’t be in contention by the time his deals up. Wouldn’t be surprised if a portions non guaranteed to use in a trade piece. worst offseason in nba history???
doesnt matter how much cap room you have a bad deal can still be a bad deal. this dude hasnt been the same player since he left the bulls. his stat line is nothing that makes him worth 9 mill. he still a decent player but not sure he worth 9 mill
I agree it’s not a steal or anything, but it won’t hurt the teams ability to spend elsewhere. More surprised that anyone could call this the worst offseason in nba history based on one “ehhhh” signing
It’s based on their whole offseason, and it’s quite obviously hyperbole. Something like “the worst offseason in NBA history” is impossible to qualify. However, I’m a Pistons fan and I know what a bad offseason looks like. This is a bad offseason.
It’s $4.5 million a season, for two years. It’s hardly cap-crippling and if Gordon can play like he has in the past its a solid deal. If he’s bad next year then his expiring contact is a trade chip. Minimal risk, moderate reward.
David Aldridge reported it being a 1+1 deal. Orlando has a club option, so they have nothing to lose.
Except $4.5M and a roster spot and minutes that could have gone to a younger player.
Great draft?!? They drafted Aaron Gordon over Dante Exum and traded two firsts and a 2nd for Elfrid Payton. Not to mention that hours earlier that day, they traded a borderline All-Star for a 2nd round pick and a guy who nobody is sure can be a starter. Now they sign a guy that they probably had no competition for to a deal worth at least $4.5M. What’s the upside here? Why not give that spot and $$$ to a player who may have upside that you don’t quite know is bad, as opposed to Gordon, who everybody knows is bad.
Aaron Gordon, the 42% FT shooter. He’s begging to get hacked, can’t see success with that poor FT shooting
Should’ve just kept Afflalo instead of getting Fournier, Green and Gordon.
orlando knows they arent contenders this year or next….they just rose the stock up on other free agents that teams are chasing..this could be smart that they force their competitors to go over the cap and/or not sign certain players…idk…its not a good deal for the magic really but hey gordon will get most of afflalo’s shots and maybe can rebound into something, still not worth 9mil