NBA Free Agent Rumors: Why Eric Gordon Is Worth Every Penny of a Max Deal

Eric Gordon came to the New Orleans Hornets as the franchise's principal hope of replacing Chris Paul–at least as much as someone like Paul can be replaced.

But, hope doesn't come cheap these days.

According to ESPN's Chris Broussard, Gordon is looking to cash in on the heels of a season in which he played just nine games on account of a knee injury:

"

Gordon, the New Orleans Hornets' restricted free agent, is seeking a max, 4-year, $58 million deal, sources say.

— Chris Broussard (@Chris_Broussard) July 1, 2012"

That may seem like a lot of money for a guy who hasn't exactly proven himself over the long haul.

In reality, though, Gordon has proven more than enough. 

The 23-year-old raised his scoring average by over five points between his second and third season, tallying over 22 points a game. More impressively, he's hovered right around 45 percent shooting in each of his four campaigns.

That's not too shabby for an undersized off-guard.

There should be little concern that Gordon will continue to excel well into the back-end of his contract, when he'll still just be in his late 20s.

This is the kind of guy who could remain in top form for the duration of another max-deal when this one is over.

Gordon has decent athletic ability, but his game isn't dependent upon it. In the mold of someone like Deron Williams, Gordon has a strong frame, plenty of talent, and the intelligence to know how to use it.

The 6'3" guard also brings valuable versatility to the table. He's not much of a point guard, but he averaged 4.4 assists in 2010-11. Whether he qualifies as a true combo-guard is up for debate, but at least he knows how to pass the ball. 

Gordon has his fair share of suitors, but the Hornets would be wise to hang on to this one.

The question is ultimately whether he'll want to stay. If not, New Orleans should look to sign-and-trade him to his desired destination so that the Hornets don't lose him for nothing. It wouldn't be an ideal situation, but it's a Plan B that makes a lot more sense than dealing with an unhappy superstar.

Of course, if the Hornets can surround Gordon with some veteran talent to help bring Anthony Davis and Austin Rivers along, maybe he'll want to stick around.