Ben Gordon spent the whole summer talking a good game, boldly predicting that he's "played [his] last game in a Bulls uniform," and having his agent tell the media that "the only certainty is Gordon will not sign the Bulls' one-year qualifying offer." (And don't forget about the fake European rumors! Those fooled everyone for a whole day and a half.)
But when push came to shove and training camp opened and the Bulls refused to budge from their original six-year, $59 million offer, well, you didn't really think Gordon was serious, did you? On Wednesday, with the league's 11pm deadline to a get a deal done looming, Gordon signed the one-year $6.4 million qualifying offer, clearing the way to play one more season in Chicago before becoming an unrestricted free agent next summer.
Personally, I think it was a bad move; $59 million is a lot of money, especially for a mostly one-dimensional, undersized two-guard. But still, you have to admire his ego. He's leaving a lot of money on the table, and in order to get it all back (let alone get more) next summer he'll have to step up his game while learning a new system and fighting for minutes in an extremely crowded backcourt.