When the Philadelphia 76ers re-signed Eric Gordon in their pursuit of getting younger and more athletic, it turned heads around the City of Brotherly Love… at least until they ended up selecting VJ Edgecombe with the third overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.

Now granted, Gordon isn't quite Kyle Lowry, who has already accepted an analyst position despite holding a 15-man roster spot on a professional sports team, but Gordon is about to enter his 18th season in the NBA and wasn't exactly a high-usage player for the 76ers in 2024-25, even when his shooting was on point.

While Gordon still thinks he can help an NBA team win in 2025, he also acknowledged with reporters on Tuesday that his job is to partially mentor young talent like Edgecombe, whom he has already shared the court with on the Bahemian National team.

“At my age, in my phase of my career, you have to mentor. That’s without a doubt. I’ve been around VJ the most. I’ve known him for quite a while. Of course, I will be looking forward to not just helping him, but also all the young guys,” Gordon told Keith Pompey.

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“But when I’m in the game, I’m going to have to do my part: Knock down shots, spread the floor, let guys operate the length [of the court] on their own. But when I’m out there, I’ve got to knock down shots, and I’ve got to look forward to making things happen.”

In 2024-25, Gordon had his worst statistical season as a pro, averaging just 6.8 points in 19.7 minutes of action a night over just 39 games. Still, he shot 40.9 percent from deep, even if his defensive rating was tied for the worst of his career. Who knows, maybe Gordon will play better on a team that plays better, but even if he doesn't, if Edgecombe turns into an All-Star-caliber talent, few will regret giving Gordon less than $2 million to help him get there.