The Los Angeles Clippers had a decision to make regarding Eric Gordon: would the team fully guarantee his $21 million salary for the 2023-24 season and bring back a player who fits in well alongside Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, or wouldn’t they and give up on a guy they traded for at the deadline last year? It turns out that after 22 games, Gordon’s second stint as a member of the Clippers is going to come to an end.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the team made the decision not to secure his deal, thereby waiving Gordon and letting him become an unrestricted free agent this summer.
The Clippers are not guaranteeing goaltender Eric Gordon’s $21 million contract and he will become a free agent, sources have told ESPN. Gordon has averaged 16 points on 37% three-point shooting over his 15-year career.
— Adrien Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 29, 2023
The fact that they gave up Luke Kennard and a pick in the 2023 NBA draft that turned into Villanova’s Cam Whitmore makes that a little surprising, as does the fact that Gordon can stretch the floor and serve as an option. capture and dangerous shooting. But as ESPN’s Bobby Marks noted, this is actually a cost-cutting move on the Clippers’ part, as waiving Gordon saves them a lot more than $21 million due to their depth in the luxury tax.
The waiver will drop the Clippers’ projected tax bill from $169 million to $59 million.
LA exceeds the $165 million tax threshold by $18 million. https://t.co/fH45jxSJN8
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) June 29, 2023
Gordon averaged 11 points in 24.9 minutes per game for the Clippers last year while completing 42.3% of his three-time attempts.