Gordon’s Value

While we may never know if a lucrative offer from the Bulls could have convinced Ben Gordon to stay in the Windy City, it’s pretty clear that the team didn’t think the shooting guard was worth the five-year $55 million deal the Detroit Pistons threw at him.  “With the Bulls near the projected luxury tax of $69 million, surpassing that tax by $9 million would have incurred a dollar-for-dollar penalty and prohibited them from collecting the approximate $3.5 million rebate for non-tax teams,” wrote K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune.

While the luxury tax implications were certainly considered, I still think the deal was too rich for Gordon when considering it simply from a value standpoint.  Gordon is a gifted scorer, but he doesn’t do much else.  He’s undersized for his position and is incredibly streaky.  He’s best suited for a sixth-man role where he can come off the bench and ignite a team’s offense.  The Bulls had offered Gordon a similar deal last summer, which he initially rejected.  The Bulls eventually pulled the offer off the table, which was probably a good move.  Gordon was very important to the Bulls’ success last season, especially in the playoffs, but he’s not an irreplaceable piece of the puzzle.

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