A players worth/value is determined by the market within the limits of the CBA (cap etc).
How can only be worth what a team (any team) is willing and ABLE to pay him. The problem is that Gordon thinks that HE sets his value for the market not the other way around. He's a restricted FA so his value is either what the bulls offer or whatever a team will offer in an offer sheet. Its pretty obvious what that is. That's this year.
What will his worth be next year if he becomes an URFA? Depends on who has cap space, how much and who has luxury tax room they are willing to spend.
Ben Gordon is CLEARLY not better than Iverson that's right up there with Devan George is as good as Marion.
How much would I pay for him in a "vacuum" as in not considering who else is on my team? Well we need to look at who else is out there that gives similar production and what they make.
He's a slightly more efficient scorer but not as good at anything else as say Stephen Jackson. Jackson is much bigger can play SF/Sg and is a much better defender. So 7-8M a year for Jackson Gordon clearly shouln't make much more.
Monta Ellis had a clearly superior season to Gordon. He's not as good a perimiter shooter but he's better in every other category so once again 6 years 66 for Ellis should be a clear sign of the upper limit of Gordon's
Jamal Crawford is another comparable (but once again taller and better in many respects) and he makes about 8M a year
It kind of boggles my mind that his Agent can avoid these very obvious comparisons and I would lve to hear his argument as to why Gordon is worth 10-20% more than any of those guys.
In the end I think he will get no more than 8 M a year next year. Likley less. Why? Gordon's agent case is built almost entirley on Grodon being the Bulls leading scorer. His only skill is scoring. With Deng healthy and signed, Huges, Kirk, RoseThebo all due for good minutes this year I think its almost impossible for Gordon to exceed last years #s in fact I think they will fall to the 15-16 ppg range as his minutes get cut. Its one thing to say you are worth 80 M becuase I'm a 20 ppg scorer and leading scorer on my team. its another to try to argue I'm worth 80M becuae I'm a 15 PPG 2nd or 3rd leading scorer who comes off the bench.
Gordon is a 6th man. He's Vinne Johnson not Allen Iverson. His team is 1.5 ppg BETTER on offense with him on the bench. That really says something. But not half as much them being 8ppg better on DEFENSE when BEn sits. He's simply not that important to the bulls.
His 82games stats are pretty dismal for a guy who wants big $. If you can't outperform your oposition who wants to pay big bucks for that.