The time has come for Gordon, Bulls to part ways

Finally it appears an expiration date is stamped on the Ben Gordon contract saga, and hopefully on his career with the Bulls as well.

How long has this money matter been going on now? Since the first peach basket was hung? Almost but not quite. Since Gordon was Norm Van Lier's running mate with the Bulls? No, they didn't quite overlap.

Seriously, hasn't it been forever that the Bulls have been calculating what Gordon is worth and what his role should be, and that he has been saying he's worth more and should have a more prominent role?

Never has so much been made of so little, as in a 6-foot shooting guard.

NBA teams can begin negotiating with free agents today, and Gordon could sign somewhere as soon as next week.

By now, the Bulls surely have decided what to do about Gordon. Indications and inklings are that they'll divorce him.

Or maybe that's just my hopeful thinking since I'm not Gordon's biggest fan.

Heck, I'm not sure I would want him any longer even at the right price, which might present itself considering how tight that NBA money is now.

Anyway, nothing changed anything during the Bulls' agonizing first-round elimination from the NBA playoffs.

Gordon's 42-point game against the Celtics didn't. His circus 3-pointer with the clock running down didn't. His inferior defense didn't. The Bulls' three victories didn't. Their four losses didn't.

We're still talking about a too-short shooting guard who doesn't play defense, is a careless ballhandler, and believes the team is better the more shots he takes.

Basically Gordon is a less-talented Allen Iverson. Even though Iverson reached the NBA Finals once, nobody could even figure out the question when trying to build a consistent winner around The Answer.

Of course, all those opinions are contrary to what myriad pro basketball experts believe about Gordon.

A former player I know likes him. So does a former big-time agent I talk with. So does a current national NBA writer who scolded me Tuesday for not recognizing that this "is a special player."

They're all wrong, especially as long as Gordon thinks of himself as an NBA starter and wants to be paid like one. I say both sides will be better off going their separate ways.

The Bulls have a franchise-defining decision here.

With Gordon as the starting shooting guard they are a lesser defensive team that has to outscore opponents.

Without Gordon the Bulls would have a chance to return to their traditional identity.

Remember, their six championships were built on sharing the ball on offense and playing team defense. The Bulls played that way even with the offensively transcendent Michael Jordan.

Now, it's difficult to imagine that a one-dimensional player like Gordon would make Bulls ownership and management compromise that philosophy.

In this economic climate the question "who is going to pay a 6-foot shooting guard a lot of money?" becomes more relevant.

But somebody just might. If so, the Bulls should let that team have him.

The best guess right now is they will, ending one of the most annoying contract disputes in modern times.