Indiana Pacers: Could Eric Gordon End Up in Indy Next Summer?

As everybody knows by now, All-Star Chris Paul was traded from the New Orleans Hornets to the Los Angeles Clippers yesterday.  

New Orleans lost one of the NBA's top three point guards in Paul, but they received a rather nice package from the Clippers in return.

Headed to the Hornets is Chris Kaman, Eric Gordon, Al-Farouq Aminu, Minnesota's 2012 unprotected first-round draft pick and a pair of future second-round picks.

Gordon, easily the best player in New Orleans now with Paul's departure, didn't seem too excited to hear about the trade.

"People in the organization were telling me I was going to probably stay here, stick around," he said. "But you don't know who to trust or follow, give you a lead on anything. I'm just going to take it for how it is. It is kind of tough to swallow, but I'm just a basketball player. I'm not going to have any hard feelings about it."

Gordon obviously wanted to stay in Los Angeles, but will he ever warm up to the idea of playing in New Orleans?

The soon-to-be 23-year-old shooting guard, who could become a free agent next summer, may not want to re-sign with the rebuilding Hornets and just might want to take his talents elsewhere, possibly to his hometown Indiana Pacers. Gordon would be a restricted free agent, meaning the Hornets could match any offer he receives. But the Pacers will still have a chunk off cap space available if they don't sign another free agent to a multi-year deal this offseason.

Indiana could also offer Danny Granger in a sign-and-trade deal. A Gordon-Granger swap would allow the Pacers to start Gordon at two-guard alongside Darren Collison in the backcourt and move Paul George to his natural position of small forward. 

And rounding out the starting five would be David West, who the Pacers recently signed, and possible future All-Star center Roy Hibbert. 

Gordon would give the Pacers a big time-scorer and a player the team could build around for years to come. The fourth-year pro averaged a career-best 22.3 points per game last season for the Clippers and is on the brink of becoming a superstar, which is why the Clippers really didn't want to give him up in the Paul deal.   

Gordon, who starred at Indianapolis' North Central high School, would certainly draw a slew of fans to Conseco Fieldhouse if he were to make his way back to the Hoosier state next summer. He would look great in a Pacers uni, but for now, he's stuck down in New Orleans.