Hornets Make Gordon Qualifying Offer

 While all the focus today is on the Hornets draft, the franchise made an expected move today, extending a qualifying offer to restriced free agent Eric Gordon.

The shooting guard out of Indiana led the Hornets last year in scoring (20.6), shooting 45% from the field. However, he missed 57 of 66 games with a knee injury that required surgery. New Orleans went 6-3 in the nine starts Gordon made last season, as he led the team in scoring in 8 of the 9 games.

Terms of the offer have not been released yet, and in less it's a max contract offer (which I'd be willing to bet a lot of apples it isn't), Gordon will most likely wait until free agency begins to see if another team can offer more. As a RFA, New Orleans will be able to match any offer he receives on the open market. As much as GM Dell Demps and head coach Monty Williams have referenced Gordon as the key to their future plans, it's a slam dunk to expect Gordon back in a Hornets uniform next season, even if it means giving him a max deal.

"Eric Gordon is the best player on our team," explained Williams. "We plan to build around him."