Eric Gordon ‘pissed’ over failed max deal, trade to Pels

Eric Gordon confessed that he holds ill grudges for how the Los Angeles Clippers botched their promise of a lucrative max extension and assurance that he'll be one of the core pieces of their future.

In his recent appearance on the Club 520 Podcast, E.G., revealed that he got upset about how the franchise pulled out its lofty pledges shortly after the 2011 lockout. The franchise eventually unexpectedly sent him a package to the New Orleans Hornets (now Pelicans).

"I'm not going to lie, I was pissed," Gordon said . "People forget I was supposed to sign a max deal with L.A. right then and there. And then that's when we had the lockout. Once we got back from that, they promised me, 'You're going to be here for five years,' this and that. The trade was done; it was supposed to be Bledsoe, Kaman, and Al-Farouq Aminu. And then, once they backed out of it, David Stern probably went to the G.M. They just threw me in there, and the rest was history."

Promise broken

Drafted as the No. 7 overall pick of the 2008 Draft, Gordon hammered himself as the Clippers' franchise star for three seasons, aligning himself with Blake Griffin. With his athleticism and scoring explosiveness, he seized a breakout year during the 2010-11 campaign, averaging a career-best 22.3 points, 4.4 assists, and 2.9 assists in 37.7 minutes for 56 games.

For the tremendous growth and the solid year he established, E.G. certainly earned the privilege to obtain his desired max contract upon his eligibility. But before the 2011-12 season, L.A. pulled the trigger by shipping him, Chris Kaman, Al-Farouq Aminu, and a 2012 first-round pick to the Hornets to complete the blockbuster acquisition of Chris Paul.

The trade completely altered Eric's trajectory toward his first career big payday. As such, his time in New Orleans was filled with frustration. He never became healthy in each of his five seasons in the Big Easy, and the entire Pelicans fanbase despises him to this day.

"I was a little confused and younger, too," Gordon added. "When I got to New Orleans, I wanted to do well but had already gotten injured. And people down there thought I just didn't give a damn or anything while I was down there."

No-brainer move

Based on his story, Gordon has the right to be disappointed and annoyed about how things unfolded between him and the Clippers a decade ago. He proved his worth across his first three seasons in the franchise and was on the verge of potentially making it as an All-Star.

But ultimately, the Clippers never made a mistake in using him as a trade chip to obtain Paul. And even if it didn't eventually result in a championship during the 'Lob City' era, taking a shot at gaining one of the game's all-time greats will always be a no-brainer.

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