The veteran guard looked to be hitting his stride before an injury sidelined him for the season.
When Daryl Morey and the Philadelphia 76ers signed then-35-year-old Eric Gordon last offseason, I understood the vision. The veteran guard had a productive season last year in Phoenix, shooting 37.8 percent from three and spacing the floor from 25 feet out for Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and company. Morey decided to reunite with the former Houston Rocket to do the same thing in Philadelphia for the Sixers’ new Big 3.
Then, Gordon got off to an epic shooting slump at the beginning of his Sixers’ career. He shot 23.1 percent from three in October and 24.1 percent in November. Gordon then only played three games in December due to having his wisdom teeth removed. The signing certainly looked like a bust, and you chalked it up to the Sixers being one year too late on getting in on Gordon.
Except…everything turned around for the veteran as the calendar turned to 2025. Freed from the pain of inflamed wisdom teeth, Gordon shot 52.6 percent from three in January. He absolutely helped open things up for Tyrese Maxey, who looked to turn his season around with a bunch of 30-point games and a couple 40-spots. Gordon ended the month with six straight games of making at least three triples. Not entirely coincidentally, the Sixers went 4-2 across that stretch, the last vestiges of the ‘Philadelphia should still make a push for the Play-In Tournament’ stage of the season.
Sadly, though, Gordon then suffered a wrist injury and last appeared in a game on February 9. He underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right wrist in late February, and is currently scheduled to be re-evaluated next month. So what does the future hold for Gordon with the Sixers?
The now-36-year-old has a $3.47 million player option for next season. Given Morey’s ‘younger and more dynamic’ edict for next season, Gordon wouldn’t appear to be in the team’s plans. But coming off an injury in his mid-30’s, it’s reasonable to assume Gordon wouldn’t have a ton of suitors if he were to enter free agency. The most prudent option for him may be to opt in and take the guaranteed money, even if it means he’s a third-stringer in the guard rotation next season and racks up a load of DNP-CD’s.
Surely, the best path forward for the Sixers would involve Gordon opting out of his option. That money and deep rotation spot would be better served earmarked for a younger guard like Jared Butler who could still be on the upward trajectory of his development curve. Still, if Gordon does opt in for next season, I wouldn’t consider it a disaster. We saw over the month of January that Gordon can still contribute at a high level in his specific role. You would cross your fingers that he could have better injury luck next season (admittedly tough for someone who will turn 37 in December) and has something left in the tank.
Player Grade: C-