Ben Gordon wants respect, i.e. money Options

[TeaLeafReaderII]

The Journal News reports on Ben Gordon wanting a new contract:


Gordon, 24, is about to embark on the final year of the four-year rookie contract he signed with the Bulls in 2004 after getting drafted out of Connecticut.

"The Bulls have an opportunity to extend my contract with them this summer," Gordon said yesterday. "So I’m hoping something gets done and I won’t have to wait another year to see what’s going to happen. I’ve done everything possible I could have done to help my team get to the playoffs, and I think it’s up to them right now to see if they want to make a long-term commitment."

"If you look at other players around the league that are doing things similar to what I’ve done in my past year and throughout my career, I just want to get that equal respect," said Gordon, who’ll become a restricted free agent after the upcoming season if he fails to sign an extension. "And that’s all it’s really about. The money I make is going to be more than I’ve ever made, so it really just boils down to getting your just due and your respect."

[Balta1701-B]

John Paxson has proven one thing to me over and over and over since he took this job; he is not an idiot. Just think about how many intelligent moves this guy has made, the trade for Deng, Front-loading these contracts to help with the luxury tax in a year or two, the deals with the Knicks, the moves in the draft that even I questioned at first until I started seeing the results...etc.

John Paxson will not be stupid enough to let Ben Gordon walk for nothing, nor will he be stupid enough to deal Ben Gordon for less than he's worth. Other teams have repeatedly tried to low-ball us in asking for Gordon and Deng for something, Pax has been smart enough to laugh those off because he knows what kind of talent he has.

If Gordon wants a max contract...we may well have to wait to see if anyone else offers that to him and then match it. But there is no reason at all why we can't do exactly that.