Eric Gordon is declining his $3.4 million player option and exploring free agency, according to a report from ESPN's Shams Charania, who adds that Gordon returning to Philadelphia remains in play:
A team source said there is "mutual interest" in a reunion between Gordon and the Sixers, who value his three-point shooting and believe he can be an important mentor for No. 3 overall pick VJ Edgecombe, his teammate from the Bahamian national team.
Gordon's exact player option figure was $3,468,960. The only rationale to support picking it up would be that Gordon would not even command a minimum salary elsewhere, and that is far-fetched. Because, as the salary cap continues to rise, Gordon's minimum salary if he signs with any team would be $3,634,148. But if that is a one-year deal, hiscap hit would only be $2,296,271. He could end up returning to the Sixers and the team will have ended up saving over $1 million off their salary cap in the process, but perhaps Gordon has his sights set on another destination where he has a better chance of finally winning a championship.
Gordon, 36, signed a two-year, veteran's minimum contract with the Sixers last offseason, containing this second-year player option. One of the most accomplished three-point shooters in NBA history, Gordon was the team's first addition in 2024 free agency. Sixers head coach Nick Nurse had high hopes for Gordon's ability to accentuate an offense built around Joel Embiid. But Embiid was never able to develop the sort of rapport with Gordon that he has with other elite shooters, as injuries limited them to just 42 minutes together all season long.
It was a season of extremes for Gordon, who started on opening night, then found himself out of the rotation entirely, then worked his way back into the starting five, then suffered a season-ending wrist injury. In 39 games (13 starts), Gordon logged 19.7 minutes per game, averaging 6.8 points and shooting 40.9 percent from beyond the arc on 3.5 three-point attempts per game. It was the first time in the entirety of Gordon's 17-year career that he did not average at least 10 points per game over a full season, in part caused by a steep decline in minutes. But there was only one month in which Gordon gave the Sixers valuable minutes all season:
Month Games Played 3PA/G 3P%
October 4 3.3 23.1
November 12 2.4 24.1
December 3 3.0 44.4%
January 17 4.6 52.6%
February 3 2.7 12.5
As frustrating as Gordon's lack of production was in months other than January, he was a critical part of the team's short-lived turnaround during that month. He has aged quite a bit and it limits his utility, but he will always be a stellar shooter with unlimited range, and that makes him a player who can help a team in theory.
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