NBA
Eric Gordon’s $21 million contract was not guaranteed by the Clippers for next season, making him a free agent
Zach Wolpin is an NBA and NFL expert who's been betting on the league for over three years now. Wolpin has been a fan of the NBA and has been watching for a decade and a half. He covers the latest news and stories surrounding the league daily. His passion in life is watching sports and being able to share that through his sports writing. He has written about the NBA and other sports leagues through various media outlets over the years like Sir Charles In Charge, G-Men HQ, and TAP into South Plainfield. Before he became an NBA News Writer, Wolpin attended Montclair State University where he graduated in 2021. He studied Sports Media and Writing while in school.
All posts by Zach WolpinUpdated29 Jun 2023
All 30 teams in the NBA had until today’s deadline to guarantee contracts or extend qualifying offers. Last night, NBA insiders reported that the Clippers are not guaranteeing Eric Gordon’s contract for next season. The 34-year-old will become a free agent this summer after playing 69 games this past season. ESPN’s Bobby Marks said the move is expected to save the Clippers over $100 million in their projected tax bill.
With the Clipper’s current roster, it’s clear that they are trying to add youth. One way to do that is to get rid of 34-year-old Eric Gordon. He still had a solid year despite getting traded in-season to LA. Gordon is a true professional and he’ll bounce back with whatever team is lucky enough to land him.
The Clippers were trying to avoid paying a heavy luxury tax this offseason under the league’s new CBA. Moving on from Gordon was a move that lessened their luxury tax by over $100 million.
Gordon’s waiving saves the Clippers $110M in luxury tax, per @BobbyMarks42. https://t.co/g4dEgWxymZ
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 29, 2023
Eric Gordon’s $21 million contract with the Clippers was not guaranteed for next season
At his current position, the Clippers had a real log jam. Gordon played SG and SF for the Clippers in 22 games last season. Coming to the team after the trade deadline, Gordon had to find a way to fit in quickly. He did that nicely for head coach Ty Lue.
In 2022-23, Gordon played 22 games for the Clippers and made 11 starts. He averaged (11.0) points per game and shot an impressive (.423) percent from beyond the arc. Despite that production, the Clippers still decided to move on from the 2016-27 Sixth Man of the Year.
When Paul George was injured shortly before the postseason, Ty Lue was able to plug Gordon into the starting lineup. He’s a veteran player who’s seen it all in his 15-year NBA career. He may not be the scorer that he once was, but Gordon is still a quality rotation player who can bring production off the bench. Gordon should not have a problem finding a new home for next season.
