Potential Sixers Target Declines Option With Phoenix Suns

Former Philadelphia 76ers trade prospect Eric Gordon is set to become a free agent.

Nov 4, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Eric Gordon (23) shoots against the Philadelphia 76ers in the second quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports / Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports

A notable role player is set to hit the free agency market this offseason.

Phoenix Suns veteran Eric Gordon had a $3.4million player option on the table for next season. According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, Gordon is declining.

As a result, he’ll get an opportunity to test the free agency market, where Gordon is expected to generate a market of “multiple contenders,” according to Charania.

Gordon is a name to keep an eye on for the Philadelphia 76ers. In the past, the veteran forward has been linked to the Sixers as a potential trade candidate. The 35-year-old might’ve garnered interest from Philadelphia, but his previous team didn’t strike a deal with Sixers.

Amid his seventh season with the Houston Rockets in 2022-2023, Gordon was traded to the LA Clippers. He spent 22 games with the Clippers during the regular season, and appeared in five of their playoff outings.

Last summer, Gordon was waived by the Clippers. He garnered interest from the Phoenix Suns, who were on the hunt for win-now talent. In his lone season with the Suns, Gordon started 24 of 68 matchups he appeared in. The veteran averaged 11 points on 38 percent shooting from deep.

In the playoffs, Gordon averaged eight points, and knocked down 41 percent of his threes. Despite it being a small sample size of four games, Gordon hit threes at a carer-high rate for the postseason last year.

The Sixers have a lot of changes to make this summer, and Gordon could be a prospect that might land back on their radar. During Gordon’s tenure with the Rockets, Sixers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey was at the head of the front office.

In 2016, Gordon signed a four-year deal, worth over $50 million to join the Rockets. In the past, Morey has shown a willingness to reunite with some of the standouts from his Rockets tenure. Perhaps, Gordon could get a look this summer, as he remains a productive shooter at this stage in his career.

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