Aaron Gordon will be a member of the Denver Nuggets for the foreseeable future. Gordon has agreed to a four-year, $92 million contract extension with the Nuggets, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. The deal will keep Gordon in a Nuggets uniform through 2026, though it includes a player option for the 2025-26 season. If no extension was reached, Gordon would have become an unrestricted free agent after the upcoming season.
Gordon, who played the first six full seasons of his career as a member of the Orlando Magic, was traded, along with Gary Clark, from Orlando to Denver in March in exchange for Gary Harris, R.J. Hampton and a future first-round pick. He appeared in 25 regular-season games for the Nuggets, averaging 10.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.2 assists. He also played in 10 playoff games for Denver and averaged 11.1 points, 5.4 rebounds and two assists per performance. Now that he is in Denver for the long haul, he and reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokic will continue to develop their chemistry together in the frontcourt, as they have the potential to be a dynamic duo on both ends of the floor.
The deal isn’t especially surprising. After trading for him it makes sense that the Nuggets would want to keep Gordon, 25, under team control for several more seasons. Late last month it was reported that Gordon and the Nuggets shared “mutual optimism” about getting an extension done, and they were ultimately able to do just that.
The Nuggets will enter the ’21-22 campaign as a legitimate contender in the crowded Western Conference, though the team will continue to be without guard Jamal Murray for a while as he continues to recover from the ACL injury that he suffered in April. We won’t get to see the Nuggets at full strength until Murray returns to the active roster. In the meantime, it will be largely up to Jokic and Gordon to help carry the scoring load in his absence. Now that Gordon will have a full offseason and training camp as a member of the Nuggets, his familiarity with the franchise — and his role — will likely increase. As a result, Gordon could be in line for a big season in the Mile High City.
Courtesy: CBS Sports
