Getty Eric Gordon
The Phoenix Suns will have plenty of players from their 2023-24 roster who will enter free agency. Among them is Eric Gordon, who signed on to a deal that many considered to be cheap.
The Suns will have the chance to re-sign him. However, the odds aren’t too great in their favor of re-signing. The Athletic’s Kelly Iko revealed the likelihood of Gordon sticking around and which former team he’d like to reunite with.
“Free agent Eric Gordon is ’50-50′ on a return to Phoenix, according to a source close to the veteran guard, but is also interested in a Rockets reunion,” Iko wrote in a June 20 story.
At 35 years old, Gordon had a solid outing for the Suns. In 27.8 minutes a game, Gordon averaged 11 points a game while shooting 44.3% from the field and 37.8% from three.
Gordon’s appeal going in was his experience as a scorer coming off the bench. In 2017, he won the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award with the Rockets because of his prowess as a bench scorer.
Suns Insider Believes Eric Gordon Won’t Stay in Phoenix
While Iko’s report said Gordon’s chances of a return could go either way, John Gombadoro reported differently.
The Arizona Sports 98.7 FM Radio host reported that he does not believe Gordon will stick around.
“I do not expect Eric Gordon back with the Suns next season,” Gombadoro posted on his X account.
Keep in mind that Iko has connections to the Rockets, while Gombadoro has connections to the Suns. Gordon may very well not choose either when he enters free agency. However, it sounds like, at the very least, Gordon did not have a good enough impression of the Suns that he might just be willing to leave.
At this stage of his career, Gordon may want a title more than anything. The Suns consider themselves a title contender but are coming off a first-round sweep. Gordon may want the same role he had with the Suns but on a team whose odds of winning are better than they are for the Suns.
Royce O’Neale Expected to Re-Sign With Suns: Report
Other factors could also be at play for why Gordon would leave the Suns. One of them could be if the Suns keep players who play the same position as him. HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto reported that the Suns are expected to keep mid-season acquisition Royce O’Neale.
“Free agent Royce O’Neale is expected to re-sign with Phoenix and is projected to earn roughly $10 million annually. The Suns have O’Neale’s Bird Rights heading into free agency, allowing them to go over the cap to retain him,” Scotto wrote.
O’Neale and Gordon don’t play the same way. However, they play similar positions, so the former’s return may coincide with Gordon’s potential decision to go elsewhere this offseason. Plus, they weren’t the only ones who occupied the guard position in their rotation. Besides Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, the Suns have Grayson Allen locked up.
With Allen also on the books for the foreseeable future, Gordon’s role in Phoenix could potentially be reduced if he chose to stay.