Posted: July 11, 2012
The Phoenix Suns have signed restricted free agent guard Eric Gordon to an offer sheet, the club announced today. Under the terms of the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, the New Orleans Hornets have three days to match the Suns’ offer and retain his rights.
“We are excited that Eric Gordon wants to be a Phoenix Sun, and are gratified by his choice to play here,” said Suns President of Basketball Operations Lon Babby.
The 6-3, 215-pound Gordon is a four-year NBA veteran who has established himself as one of the league’s premier scorers. Just 24 years old, Gordon owns career NBA averages of 18.2 points, 2.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 205 games (190 starts). An All-NBA Rookie Team selection in 2009, Gordon increased his scoring average in each of his first three seasons before playing just nine games in an injury-plagued, lockout-shortened campaign in 2011-12. The centerpiece of the Hornets’ trade of Chris Paul, Gordon averaged 20.6 points in nine games for New Orleans last season.
A career 45.0 percent shooter from the floor, including 37.0 percent from three-point range, Gordon is an efficient scorer whose 18.2-point career average has come on 13.5 field goal attempts per game. In Gordon’s only appearance in Phoenix last season, the Indiana product scored 20 points against the Suns and hit the game-winning 20-foot jump shot with 4.2 seconds remaining in the season opener at US Airways Center on Dec. 26.
The Suns also completed a sign-and-trade deal with the Los Angeles Lakers today that sent guard Steve Nash to Los Angeles in exchange for the Lakers’ first round draft selections in 2013 and 2015, second-round picks in 2013 and 2014, and cash considerations.