David Stern to Make Final Decision on Eric Gordon’s Contract Extension

Eric Gordon’s pro basketball life remains, in some ways, in David Stern’s hands. With the NBA owning the New Orleans Hornets, it’s Stern’s role to make the final call when it comes to the team extending Gordon’s deal. From the Times-Picayune: “With today the deadline for offering shooting guard Eric Gordon a contract extension, Hornets General Manager Dell Demps remains coy. But ultimately it appears NBA Commissioner David Stern will make the final call because of the league’s ownership of the Hornets. After last month’s trade that sent former Hornet Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for Gordon, Chris Kaman and Al-Farouq Aminu and the Minnesota Timberwolves’ 2012 first-round draft pick, Stern said the Hornets were authorized to have discussions like any other team regarding contract matters or trades, but he had to sign off on all major transactions. Gordon, who has played in only two games with the Hornets because of a bruised right knee, is seeking an extension similar to that of Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook, who agreed to a five-year, $80 million deal last week. ‘You know they’ve told me they want me here, they want an extension,’ Gordon said last week. ‘But it’s all about what they think is the worth in me. They see that I’m capable of helping this team win, capable of playing hard every night offensively and defensively. Now it’s all about dealing with what I’m worth.'”