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"When I came back, and since we've been playing and winning games, there's definitely a change (in how the fans are treating him)," Gordon said. "I remember from this past summer to about a month or so ago, where I'd hear fans saying, 'Do you really want to be here? I don't think you want to be here.' "But at the end of the day, you have to understand the NBA is nothing but a business. I've seen guys in the past few years coming and going here – a lot of good guys. Chris Paul, David West. You've had a lot of prominent players come through here and now they're somewhere else. You never know what could happen here." In other words, some residue from the summer remains. USA Today Sports

New Orleans Hornets, Trade, Eric Gordon 

"At the end of the day it was all about what's the best situation for me," Gordon said. "I knew the Hornets were going to go through a rebuild, and Phoenix was also going through somewhat of a rebuild, but they were going to have more older guys. I just focused on what I felt was going to be best for me and it was very mind boggling when the Hornets were talking about having me very, very long-term and then you have to sign with another team. "You can say one thing and do another, but at the end of the day I don't get into it. With the things that I've been in with GMs, where I had one GM (former Clippers GM Neil Olshey, who now is in Portland) say that you'll never get traded and the next thing you know that ends up happening a few days later. And now you have another GM who says you're going to be here long term, so you would expect that to be the longest term that you can for being a part of this team (contractually). And I am here long term, but I could've had an opportunity to have five (years) instead of four." USA Today Sports

New Orleans Hornets, Trade, Eric Gordon 

New Orleans guard Eric Gordon is appreciative that the Suns helped get him a four-year, $58 million contract, but his heart has moved on from July, when he insisted Phoenix is where it belonged. The Hornets matched the restricted free agent’s offer, and Gordon slowly returned from knee issues that might have canceled the Suns deal after a physical. Gordon played his 16th game Wednesday, making 3 of 14 shots. “It was a part of business, and they threw out the best offer, and I had to take it,” Gordon said. “When you see a contract like that, and you have a team that is full-fledged going after you like that, you have to take it.” Arizona Republic

New Orleans Hornets, Phoenix Suns, Free Agency, Eric Gordon 

Gordon said the decision also had to do with his brother, Evan, playing at Arizona State and the style under Alvin Gentry. In July, Gordon said in a statement that his heart was in Phoenix to discourage New Orleans from matching. “I can’t really get into that,” Gordon said. “Whether I was here or there, I would’ve been fine with it. It was nothing over the top that I wanted to be here or there.” Arizona Republic

New Orleans Hornets, Phoenix Suns, Free Agency, Eric Gordon 

“How often do you get a chance to have the Super Bowl take place in the same city where you live?” said Hornets center/forward Jason Smith, explaining his decision to buy tickets. Smith is joined by Ryan Anderson, Anthony Davis, Eric Gordon, Robin Lopez, Roger Mason and Greivis Vasquez among Hornets players who bought Super Bowl XLVII tickets. Kick-off in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome – which is literally across Girod Street from the Hornets’ home arena – is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Central, giving players plenty of time to rest after a roughly three-hour flight from Minneapolis. Like several of his teammates, Smith said that his preference would have been to root for the Hornets’ NFL brothers, the New Orleans Saints. With no obvious reason to cheer for either participating team, Hornets players are split evenly between Baltimore and San Francisco. NBA.com

New Orleans Hornets, Greivis Vasquez, Roger Mason, Robin Lopez, Eric Gordon, Ryan Anderson, NFL, New Orleans Saints, Jason Smith, Anthony Davis 

There is no doubting that Gordon has trade value. There is no doubting that New Orleans isn’t going anywhere this year, but the word from the very top in New Orleans is they like this squad, so a deal to rip it apart will have to be a doozie. HoopsWorld

New Orleans Hornets, Trade, Eric Gordon 

Steve Kyler: On the Eric Gordon trade speculation... after spending a week with EG and the team. I'd be stunned if they moved him. Never say never Twitter @stevekylerNBA

New Orleans Hornets, Trade, Eric Gordon 

Heard a Reno rumble or two that the Hornets will make shooting guard Eric Gordon available between now and the Feb. 21 deadline, but that was emphatically denied by one well-placed source. ESPN.com

New Orleans Hornets, Trade, Eric Gordon 

Also heard that it's actually the Hornets who've been getting calls from interested teams, but the latest signals emanating from New Orleans suggest that the future Pelicans have no intention of moving him. ESPN.com

New Orleans Hornets, Trade, Eric Gordon 

There was never any truth to the rumors that Gordon was sitting out because he didn’t want to be in New Orleans. The simple truth is that he and the team wanted to err on the side of caution so he wouldn’t suffer another setback right away. “Yeah, for sure,” says Gordon. “This is like my eleventh game in two years and now I’m coming back into the fold where I wasn’t in full shape, just now starting to feel good and trying to get back to 100 percent. I’m still in the rehab process; with me it’s a long-term thing, trying to get better and better long-term and just now trying to work my way back.” HoopsWorld

New Orleans Hornets, Eric Gordon 

New Orleans Hornets Coach Monty Williams said shooting guard Eric Gordon continues to show signs that he is becoming more game ready and they will proceed with plans to increase his minutes slightly Saturday against the Dallas Mavericks. New Orleans Times-Picayune

New Orleans Hornets, Eric Gordon 

But Coach Monty Williams said they will continue to restrict Gordon's minutes. However, Williams declined to say if he would play Gordon beyond the 24 minutes he played played last Saturday. ``He’s still on a minute restriction,'' Williams said. ``We’ll play it by ear on back-to-backs for now, and make sure we’re doing everything we can to keep him healthy, and keep him in top shape. ``At the same time, I don’t want everyone else backing off their game because Eric is back and playing. We went through this tough time, but we also had guys out there gaining confidence by doing things they’d never done before in an NBA game. We want to couple that confidence with what Eric brings to the table.” New Orleans Times-Picayune

New Orleans Hornets, Monty Williams, Eric Gordon 

You can go ahead and cross New Orleans Hornets’ Eric Gordon off your trade deadline wish list. Hornets’ sources said recently that the game plan with Gordon was to get him back on the floor and playing. There has been a long-running belief that Gordon does not want to be in New Orleans and that he was genuine in trying to get out of town as a free agent. Both Gordon and the Hornets have been aggressive in denying that stance. HoopsWorld

New Orleans Hornets, Trade, Eric Gordon 

Hornets sources point to the restrictions New Orleans has on trading Gordon because they matched a restricted free agent offer sheet and Gordon can veto any deal they construct as a key road block to a deal. HoopsWorld

New Orleans Hornets, Trade, Eric Gordon 

Then Gordon missed the first 29 games, and everyone assumed he wanted a trade. And maybe he does. If so, the Suns are still very interested (although by NBA rules, they would have to wait until July). So are the Indiana Pacers. One GM even suggested the Oklahoma City Thunder should make a play. “They certainly have the assets, but I’m not sure how you’d make the money work,” the GM said, before admitting such a plot is highly unlikely. FOXSportsOhio

Indiana Pacers, New Orleans Hornets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Phoenix Suns, Trade, Eric Gordon 

Now that Eric Gordon has returned, the question becomes whether the veteran guard wants to remain with New Orleans. “I have a feeling he’ll learn to love it,” an Eastern Conference executive told FOX Sports Ohio. FOXSportsOhio

New Orleans Hornets, Trade, Eric Gordon 

No matter, this is where Gordon has to earn his money, be a professional, come out with the determination he displayed Saturday. He certainly has the talent. He’s certainly capable of being a No. 1 option, an All-Star, a winner on a team with potential. If that doesn’t happen, according to sources, the Hornets would be willing to move him quick. “That’s not what they want, and they’ve made that clear,” said the Eastern exec. “The best situation for everyone is that Gordon stays healthy and happy and this team gets a chance to build.” FOXSportsOhio

New Orleans Hornets, Trade, Eric Gordon 

Jim Eichenhofer: Hornets announce Eric Gordon is activated for tonight's game at Bobcats. Darius Miller will be inactive. NOLA has 14 healthy players now. Twitter @Jim_Eichenhofer

New Orleans Hornets, Eric Gordon, Injurier 

Jim Eichenhofer: Eric Gordon on status of knee: "I doubt there will be any setbacks from now on. Things are good. It’s all about conditioning at this point.” Twitter @Jim_Eichenhofer

New Orleans Hornets, Injuries, Eric Gordon 

New Orleans Hornets shooting guard Eric Gordon could make his much anticipated regular-season debut Saturday on the road against the Charlotte Bobcats. Coach Monty Williams said Gordon continues to make progress and predicted he could play Saturday. New Orleans Times-Picayune

New Orleans Hornets, Injuries, Eric Gordon