Filed under: Bulls, Eastern, NBA Rumors
There's still plenty of time between now and the start of the season, but Ben Gordon sounds about ready to give up on his pipe dream of being the highest-paid Bull. Actually, he sounds ready to give up on being a member of the Bulls at any salary. From the Hartford Courant:
Gordon said negotiations are at a stalemate with the Bulls, and he doesn't know if he'll be back in Chicago for a fifth season.
"Right now, honestly, it doesn't look like it," Gordon said. "I think a decision is going to be made soon. ... I've had a great time here. I was fortunate enough to play on a team that made the playoffs; I led the team in scoring three of the four seasons I've been here. It's been a good experience, but we haven't been able to come to any common ground. It's just part of the business. You have to do what you have to do sometimes."
His pessimism is curious, especially considering his only trump cards consist of a) signing Chicago's qualifying offer and becoming an unrestricted free agent next summer, or b) signing with a European team.
If he wants to stay in the NBA, he'll have to find an interested suitor to agree to a sign-and-trade that the Bulls deem acceptable, which is easier said than done, especially when you consider the complicated Base Year Compensation rule (not to mention the fact that, you know, most teams aren't chomping at the bit to bend over backwards to sign undersized two-guards).
How will this play out? Mark my words: Gordon will eventually sign the qualifying offer, only to realize next summer that he never should have turned down the Bulls' five-year, $50 million offer from 2007.
