When Eric Gordon officially signed his four-year $58 million offer sheet with the Suns, New Orleans was expected to match. Now, the Hornets have made it official, according to a report from Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.
Hornets To Match Eric Gordon’s Offer Sheet From Suns
Gordon was the centerpiece of the return the Hornets landed for Chris Paul last December so it makes sense New Orleans would want to keep him, but now that he is officially back in the fold the two sides might need to mend their relationship a bit.
When Gordon initially agreed to his deal with Phoenix, he said he would be disappointed if the Hornets matched the offer sheet.
“If (the Hornets) were interested, there wouldn’t have been no tour, there wouldn’t have been nothing,” Gordon said. “There’s been no negotiations. I was right there in Indiana. I haven’t received no calls, to me personally, they’ve contacted my agent.
“As for now, I don’t know what’s going on. (If the Hornets match) as of right now, I’d be disappointed.”
That prompted Hornets coach Monty Williams to say the organization only wanted players who wanted to be there.
“I just think when you’re going through free agency and you’re talking about that kind of money, certain things are said and felt,” Williams said. “At the same time, I’m not going to back off that stance: We want people that want to be here. If you don’t want to be here, then we have to make some adjustments.”
It appears the comments will not have a lasting effect as Spears reports Gordon will state his commitment to the team and fans in an upcoming statement from the Hornets.
NO to soon release statement saying they've matched Eric Gordon's Suns offer sheet. Gordon states commitment to Hornets and fan appreciation
— Marc J. Spears (@SpearsNBAYahoo) July 14, 2012
For more on the Hornets, check out At The Hive. For more on the Suns, visit Bright Side of the Sun and SB Nation Arizona.
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