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.

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• According to the Suntimes, according to league sources, the Bulls and Ben Gordon are still far apart on a contract. This is nothing to hit the panic button over because all indications are that serious negotiations haven’t started with many fo the restricted free agents.
• Luol Deng, according to the Suntimes, will opt for the $4.5 million qualifying offer if he cannot agree to a new deal with the Bulls by August 4th, so he has insurance in case he gets injured while playing for Great Britain in the European Championship Qualifiers.
• According to The Daily Herald, the Portland Trailblazers plan to pursue Ben Gordon or Luol Deng next summer if they are restricted free agents.
• Greek basketball fans are saying that the Greek Club, Olympiakos, are offering Ben Gordon a two year contract worth $20 million USD after taxes and agent fees. This would be the equivalent to about a $32 million over 2 years contract in the NBA. Olympiakos recently signed Atlanta Hawk’s small forward Josh Childress. If they are able to get Ben Gordon and Josh Childress as their two American players, they will dominate European basketball for the next two years.
• The Charlotte Observer is reporting that the Bobcats have reached an impasse with Emeka Okafor, and are not willing to offer the $12 million per a season they offered last year. Okafor is now open to leaving Charlotte.
• The Hoops Doctors are reporting that Denver has had discussions about sending future draft picks and the trade exception they received in the Marcus Camby trade for Kirk Hinrich. According to their sources, the Bulls turned down a Kirk Hinrich for Marcus Camby trade.

Now what exactly would the Bulls have to give up for Emeka Okafor? They could make a package based around Drew Gooden and Tyrus Thomas and trade that for a package of Emeka Okafor, Jared Dudley, and Jamero Davidson.

The Denver rumor might just be related to the idea of Okafor coming to Chicago. If the Bulls did the rumored Kirk Hinrich trade, the Bulls would receive a trade exception for the amount of Hinrich’s contract. So the Bulls could do a sign and trade of the trade exception they would receive in the Kirk Hinrich trade and draft picks for Emeka Okafor. Under this scenario, the Bulls would be able to offer Okafor approximately a 76.5 million over 6 years deal. This would be for an average of 12.8 million per a year, which is more than Charlotte is willing to give him. However, the rumored Hinrich trade could just be to clear cap space to resign Gordon and Deng comfortably and make another trade.

Remember, in past interviews in July, Paxson has maintained that he wants to try to package some players together to get a guy he really likes and who would improve the team.