New Orleans coach Monty Williams is asking Hornets fans for a favor regarding Eric Gordon, who plans to return to practice next week after rehabbing a knee injury: Give him a second chance.

"Our city has been a city of second chances," Williams told Yahoo! Sports. "This situation should be the same way. Eric said some things. But if you polled most of the people in our city about the things they said at [age] 23, I'm sure they had some regrets. We want our city to embrace him because that's who we are."

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The words that caused such a stir for Gordon in New Orleans came in a statement he made after signing a maximum four-year, $55 million offer sheet with the Phoenix Suns this past summer. "I strongly feel they are the right franchise for me. Phoenix is just where my heart is now," Gordon stated.

Gordon told Yahoo! Sports he regretted those words, but there was a reason he was so cavalier.

"Of course I did [regret it]," Gordon said. "But that was the only way to push the table on the Hornets. To get a deal done I was willing to negotiate. My agent and I were going through negotiations with them. But they weren't leaning into really giving me one. So I had to ride with Phoenix and from Day 1 they weren't playing games."





Gordon was intent on getting a maximum deal and signing it prior to trying out for the Olympic team in mid-July. He felt the Hornets were taking advantage of his restricted free-agent status by taking their time. Without the maximum offer he sought from the Hornets, Gordon instead signed with Suns on July 10. The Hornets eventually matched the deal.

Team general manager Dell Demps declined comment on the contract negotiations.

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After continued right knee issues, Gordon decided to rehabilitate it rather than have more surgery after missing the preseason. He has been rehabilitating in Los Angeles, including workouts of eight hours a day of late, he says. Demps, who saw Gordon work out this week, said he could be back in the lineup in 7-10 days.

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Gordon says he has no ill will toward the city of New Orleans or its fans and he has not asked for a trade. His major concern is about the direction of the franchise after struggling to a 21-45 record during the 2011-12 season. The Hornets currently have the Western Conference's worst record at 5-20.

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