Denver Nuggets Aaron Gordon Trade: Initial Thoughts
This trade was an absolute win for the Denver Nuggets. This is a move that could very well catapult the Nuggets to the second-best team in the West. They give up a little guard depth to solidify their frontcourt to be able to match up with some of the most talented teams in the league and especially the Western Conference. This move should give them enough firepower to go toe to toe with the Lakers, Clippers, and the Jazz.
The starting lineup of Jamal Murray, Will Barton, Michael Porter Jr, Aaron Gordon, and Nikola Jokic is a scary sight. They now have a perfect blend of size, athleticism, scoring, and finesse at all five positions. This roster is truly set up to be one of the better rosters in the league Aaron Gordon buys in. The Nuggets should have a real shot to make a deep post-season run.
For some time it was hard to believe the Nuggets would be able to get a deal like this done without losing Michael Porter Jr, but I know Nuggets fans alike are leaping for joy. The size, length, and athleticism they now have at their forward and center positions are attractive.
They now have a bigger athlete they can throw at players like LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard. While Gordon is not really known as a shutdown defender, his size, strength, and athleticism allow him to be an above-average on-ball defender.
This entire season has been centered around one thing with the Nuggets, how will they replace Jerami Grant? Aaron Gordon is the ideal replacement for Grant, he is just as athletic and is not afraid to initiate offense.
He will not be tasked to run much of the offense in Denver and will be primarily used as a slasher and cutter off of Nikola Jokic post-ups. This is the ideal situation for Aaron Gordon as he gets to play off the ball and wait for gaps in the defense to explode to the rim.
Trading away their young guard prospect of RJ Hampton and Gary Harris hurts their long-term plans slightly, as Hampton has real potential to be a stud. He is an extremely young and explosive player, who is really growing into his athletic body and overall game. However, this might be a win for these two young guards who will clearly get plenty of playing time in Orlando. Watching Hampton’s development will be fun, who knows maybe the Nuggets can trade with the Magic again later on down the line…
