The Golden State Warriors were thought to be highly interested in bringing veteran Eric Gordon to the Bay Area to team up with their championship-core. However, they missed out on his signature to their Western Conference and division rivals, the Phoenix Suns.
According to NBA writer Mark Medina, this was due in part to the five-time NBA champions only offering the 34-year-old a one-year deal in order to ‘manage luxury tax expenses’ and to ‘keep roster flexibility’.
NBA free-agency news – Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors started free-agency by re-signing Draymond Green to a four-year, $100 million contract according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
This move ensured that the Warriors’ championship-winning core would be retained for another season with Green staying in San Francisco alongside 4x NBA Champions Steph Curry and Klay Thompson.
After a disappointing post-season where the Warriors exited in the second-round of the playoffs after losing in six games to LeBron James and the L.A. Lakers, the front-office made the decision to part ways with its young talent in favor of veteran experience.
This decision saw 38-year-old Chris Paul arrive in San Francisco in a trade package that included Jordan Poole being dealt to the Washington Wizards, as first reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
At the start of free-agency, the four-time NBA champions were thought to be interested in a plethora of veteran free-agents that included Mason Plumlee, Dario Saric and ‘No. 1 backcourt target’ Eric Gordon.
After missing out on Plumlee who chose to return to the L.A. Clippers, and then missing out on Gordon who signed with their Western Conference rivals the Phoenix Suns – despite it being reported by The Athletic’s Kelly Iko that Golden State were one of his top three choices (with Phoenix and Houston) – they had to explore alternative options.
This resulted in the signing of 2014 NBA champion Cory Joseph, who spent last season with the Detroit Pistons, instead.
However, it has been argued that the Warriors may have made a mistake in not pushing to sign 34-year-old Gordon, and could come to regret it further down the line.
Mark Medina: Did the Warriors make a mistake over Gordon?
Medina believes the Warriors’ decision in maintaining roster flexibility and managing finances took precedent over matching the offer put forward to Eric Gordon by the Phoenix Suns.
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, the journalist said: “The Warriors surely wished they could have landed Gordon with his veteran presence, consistent shooting and defense.”
“But they have only wanted to acquire players on one-year deals instead of granting a player option for their second season.”
“Why? One, the Warriors want to manage their luxury tax expenses. Two, the Warriors want to keep flexibility with addressing fluid roster needs next season.”
Why did the Warriors not push to sign Eric Gordon?
It is no surprise that Eric Gordon was a highly sought after free-agent due to his proven ability as a scorer, particularly from beyond the arc, as well as being regarded as one of the NBA’s ‘best non-center post defenders’.
Set to enter his 15th NBA season, per StatMuse, he comes off the back of a 2022-23 campaign where he averaged 12.4 PPG and 2.7 APG, shooting 37.1% from three-point range.
He was traded to the Clippers at the February trade deadline, and in the 22 games he featured in, his three-point percentage increased to 42.3%, his highest since the 2014-15 season when he was a member of the New Orleans Pelicans.
Although the Warriors were in strong contention to land the veteran, according to Peter O’Keefe of Blue Man Hoop, Gordon opted to play for the Suns instead due to the Warriors’ inability to guarantee 15-20+ minutes of playing time.
This was further supported by reports from Anthony Slater of The Athletic who believes that the Suns can offer him a much more substantial role on a team who are in desperate need of squad depth behind the big 3 of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal.
The Warriors seem to be looking to offer shorter-term deals for their free-agents amid salary-cap restrictions, as well as appearing to go in championship-or-bust mode as their core-group’s window is beginning to close.
Only time will tell if it was a mistake not to offer the 2017 Three-Point Contest winner the extra year on his contract that he was seeking.
If the Phoenix Suns go on to win the 2024 NBA finals next season and Gordon plays a somewhat impactful role, the Warriors will certainly be looking back at what might have been.