Before making waves with the signing of Paul George, the Philadelphia 76ers added a veteran sharpshooter to the fold as Eric Gordon agreed to a one-year veteran minimum deal with the team in the early hours of free agency on Sunday.
The deal comes after Gordon declined his player option to enter free agency following one season with the Phoenix Suns. The move reunites Gordon with Daryl Morey who signed him to a lucrative deal during his tenure in Houston. The 35 year old shooting guard spent last season in Phoenix, averaging 11 points to go along with two assists and a steal per game. While these numbers were down compared to his career average of 15 points per game, he was still productive and put together a solid season.
Gordon joins Paul George, and Andre Drummond as Philly’s roster additions one the opening day of free agency. In addition to the trio, the 76ers also resigned Kelly Oubre and Tyrese Maxey to multiyear contracts. These are just a few of many moves expected as the team have many holes to fill this offseason.
Over the course of 17 seasons, Gordon has established himself as a reliable scorer, especially from three point range.
In 2023, he shot 38% from long distance, which is slightly above his career average of 37%. He ranks 16th all time in three point shots with 2,028 and has the chance to pass Paul Pierce this season to jump into the top 15. With the loss of Nic Batum and the potential departures of Buddy Hield and Cam Payne, Gordon has the chance to pick up the slack from long range alongside Jared McCain.
Gordon has a chance to compete for a starting spot with the 76ers as he joins Tyrese Maxey and Jared McCain as the only guards on the roster at the moment.
Gordon has made 652 starts in his career and would figure to see minutes at shooting guard with Maxey penciled in as the team’s starting point guard. He is no stranger to coming off the bench, however, as he was named the 6th Man of the Year Award recipient in 2016 and was the runner up the following year. Even at 35, he is still durable as he played an average of 28 minutes per game across 68 games. While he will likely see time at shooting guard, Gordon is versatile as he has experience at the small forward position which could come in handy in the event Paul George misses time.
The addition of Eric Gordon provides much-needed depth for a 76ers team that is retooling following a disappointing end to the 2023 season. While this particular move will not move the needle on their title chances, it does give them a reliable scoring option with extensive playoff experience. His leadership combined with his consistent performance on the court makes him a solid addition to a Sixers team that will be faced with very high expectations in 2024.
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