Gordon, Suns agree to max contract

Hornets restricted free agent Eric Gordon has agreed to sign a maximum contract with the Suns, league sources confirmed.

New Orleans has the right to match the offer sheet, but Gordon made it known that he'd rather play for Phoenix than the team that traded for him in the Chris Paul deal last season.

"After visiting the Suns, the impression the organization made on me was incredible," Gordon said in a statement released to the Arizona Republic and ESPN. "(Owner Robert) Sarver, (general manager) Lon Babby, (assistant general manager) Lance Blanks, the front office staff and Coach (Alvin) Gentry run a first-class organization, and I strongly feel they are the right franchise for me. Phoenix is just where my heart is now."

Yet as SI.com previously reported, the Hornets had always intended to match a max offer if Gordon was able to land one. A source with knowledge of the team's plans reiterated that stance on Tuesday, saying the team still planned to match even with Gordon's apparent desire to play elsewhere.

Gordon, 23, missed all but nine games last season due to right knee injury, but owns a career scoring average of 18.2 points per game. He averaged a career-best 22.3 ppg for the Clippers in 2010-11 before being sent to the Hornets in a blockbuster offseason trade.