Greek news sources are reporting that Ben Gordon has been offered a $5.5 million contract with CSKA Moscow. That contract is the equivalent to an $8.9 million contract in the NBA, as European teams deal in net. Gordon is said to be demanding at least $7 million from CSKA Moscow, which would be the same amount that Josh Childress is making. That deal would be the equivalent of an $11.3 million NBA contract, and would provide Gordon great incentive to leave the NBA for Russia.

Gordon would rejoin his former teammate, Viktor Khryapa. Also on the team is the much lauded Trajan Langdon, former New Jersey Net, Zoran Planicic, and former Jayhawk, Sasha Kaun.

CKSA Moscow is going for the sevenpeat in the Russian Super League and is trying to repeat as champions of the Euroleague. Adding Ben Gordon to their roster would bolster their chances of maintaining their dominance.

CSKA Moscow was the highest salaried team in Europe last year at $50 million. If any European team is likely to throw some money to get a good talent, CSKA Moscow is the team. They just might need Gordon if they have any hopes of competing with Olympiacos, who signed Josh Childress this summer, in the Euro Cup.

Ben Gordon, since he has a Great Britain passport, doesn’t count as one of the team’s two American players. So they are able to have Gordon on the roster even with two Americans, Trajan Langdon and Terrence Morris on the roster.

Much has been made in the past week of European contracts not being guaranteed. This really isn’t the case. The teams that Gordon has been talking to will pay him his money. The teams that don’t pay the players their money are teams in the more obscure European leagues, teams that a player like Paul Shirley would end up playing for.

The article says that Gordon will make his decision by Wednesday. This likely is just when Gordon will decide if he is going overseas or not. There is no indication that if Gordon turns down CSKA Moscow’s offer, that he will make a decision on what to do with the Bulls at the same time.

[SOURCE]

Henry Abbot, in his TrueHoop blog on ESPN.com had this tidbit regarding the Russian club Dynamo.

Dynamo has a reputation of an underarchieving team here in Russia. They spend CSKA-like money on their roster, yet the results are very different. This year they finally got a great coach in David Blatt and also signed Bostjan Nachbar to what would be again a $9 million NBA contract. They are rumored to be targeting Ben Gordon, now that it’s known that players of this caliber are available for the right money. Once again, it’s impossible to tell how far the team can go in terms of spending, because what’s happening now is unprecedented. For years, Dynamo has been the richest team that is not in the Euroleague, and they are desperate to get in the league.

TrueHoop

It looks like Ben Gordon might indeed be headed to Europe in light of Gordon saying that he doesn’t think he will be a Bull next season.