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Aaron Gordon on the stresses of free agency and his hopes for the Orlando Magic

By Philip Rossman-Reich

OAKLAND, CA - NOVEMBER 13: Aaron Gordon #00 of the Orlando Magic during the game against the Golden State Warriors on November 13, 2017 at ORACLE Arena in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA - NOVEMBER 13: Aaron Gordon #00 of the Orlando Magic during the game against the Golden State Warriors on November 13, 2017 at ORACLE Arena in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Aaron Gordon had some stress during free agency but he and the Orlando Magic got a deal done. And now he seems ready to work to improve himself and the team.

It was a stressful day for Aaron Gordon last Sunday.

Free agency had opened and Gordon’s future was still very uncertain. All indications were the Orlando Magic would keep Gordon, matching any offer he might receive in restricted free agency. There were still some moments of uncertainty. That would always be the case when a player is not under contract.

By the end of that first day of free agency, word had leaked out that Gordon had signed a new contract with the Magic. A reported four-year, $84-million deal. It ended up being a bit less — more on that at the end of the post.

It was a huge relief. One that Gordon was glad to get out of the way. His focus is now on making the Magic better.

The only way it could get better, he told Scott Anez of ESPN Orlando on Friday, is helping the team make the Playoffs.

"“I’m ecstatic. It’s awesome,” Gordon said. “A great day. We just have a lot of potential. We have a lot of talent. We have a lot of length. Signing this four year does take stress off. I can just focus and play my game and get in my bag. That’s what they pay me for, that’s what they love me for is playing the game that I love to play and helping everybody around me. That’s going to be a huge focus if we’re going to make it as far as we want to go is to make the people around us better. And now is that time.”"

Gordon certainly seems excited for the direction the team is going. He spoke highly of Jeff Weltman and John Hammond during negotiations and the vision they had for him and the team moving forward.

It certainly frees Gordon up to work on his game and improve himself. He said he knows that he has to make those improvements too. He admitted he did not bring his defensive intensity every night. That is part of the lessons of stardom.

And certainly there is added responsibility for Gordon now as the team’s highest paid player.

The other reality, that Gordon does not talk about in the interview, is that his market was extremely depressed. And while the team still took care of Gordon financially, they did so in a way that benefits the team.

Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel reports the terms of the deal are very team friendly. The contract is front-loaded with a declining salary in each of the four years. His highest salary in the course of the contract takes place in the first year — next year. And the total amount of the contract comes out to $76 million.

That was certainly a bit of a surprise. The Magic will not complain. If he fails to take the steps forward the team hopes, Orlando could more easily move on from him.

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Gordon is certainly excited to be have this all wrapped up and to be back with the Magic. Orlando did its job to take care of itself and its potential star player.