New Orleans Pelicans: Re-sign SG Eric Gordon.
For as much praise as the New Orleans Pelicans deserve for locking up transformative big man Anthony Davis before he enters his prime, the Pelicans’ front office has done a terrible job of surrounding Davis with solid NBA veterans to push for playoff contention.
Yes, Ryan Anderson has been a solid player the last four years, but he’s hitting free agency at a premium position of stretch four. It’s gotten so bad in the Pelicans front office that general manager Dell Demps has called in disgraced former Atlanta Hawks general manager Danny Ferry to make sense of this New Orleans front office quagmire.
Though he was a promising player with the Los Angeles Clippers and the key piece coming back in the Chris Paul trade years ago, it’s time for the Pelicans to say goodbye to talented, but always hurt shooting guard Eric Gordon.
For about a three-year stretch, that was the worst contract in the Western Conference. Gordon’s deal with the Pelicans wasn’t all that horrible last season in its final year. However, the Pelicans still own the worst contract in the West again: why did they give all that money and years to Omer Asik?
If drafting Oklahoma Sooners National Player of the Year, shooting guard Buddy Hield, wasn’t assurance that Gordon was done with the Pelicans, what is? Hield may need to refine other parts of his game, but shooting makes him poised to make a huge impact as a 23-year-old rookie.
Don’t think about having Gordon be the sixth man for the 2016-17 Pelicans. He’ll probably get hurt and that’s why New Orleans has Tyreke Evans anyway. New Orleans isn’t expected to do much this year, so let Davis and Hield grow together at the Smoothie King Center, please.
Next: New York Knicks.