Ben Gordon Isn’t Going Anywhere

by Marcel Mutoni

Well, well, well. So much for the big talk from Ben Gordon.

Following a summer during which he claimed that he’d never wear a Bulls uniform again, and stated that there’s no way he was going to accept a one-year deal (”I’m definitely not taking it. ‘I’ve already expressed that to them. I mean, that’s not an option”), BG eventually blinked, and he ended up signing a one-year $6.4 million deal with Chicago.

The team announced the deal minutes after the 11pm deadline last night. From the Chicago Tribune:

“Ben is excited to be with the Bulls again this season and is looking forward to being the best teammate he can be,” said Raymond Brothers, Gordon’s agent. “And he will keep the window open to negotiate with the Bulls next summer.”

Ben famously rejected five-year, $50 million offer from the Bulls in the summer of 2007; this past summer, the Bulls were rumored to be offering virtually the same deal ($58 mil over six years), which, of course, Gordon also turned down.

With a crowded backcourt to compete with, plus a new coach to get acclimated to, BG’s work is cut out for him in his quest to become obscenely rich next summer. As always, it should be an interesting season in the Windy City.