Clippers pick up option on E.J.

Eric Gordon knows he'll be with the Los Angeles Clippers for at least the first three years of his NBA career. The Clippers on Tuesday picked up the third year option on Gordon, heading into his second year. NBA rookie contracts for first-round draft picks guarantee the first two years with team options for years three and four. Gordon will make $3 million in his third year and $3.8 in his fourth, if the Clippers pick up the option. As the No. 7 pick in the 2008 draft, his salary the first four years is set by the rookie scale. The 2007 Indianapolis Star Indiana Mr. Basketball out of North Central was one of the NBA's top rookie scorers last season. He averaged 16.1 points and started 65 games. Gordon, who led the Big Ten in scoring during his freshman year at Indiana, is the Clippers leading scorer through three preseason games at 17.7 points. The Clippers also picked up the fourth-year option on forward Al Thornton, but whether or not the historically floundering fra...