The vibes have been relatively low for the Denver Nuggets organization and fan base since their game-7 collapse against the Timberwolves last season. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope left for Orlando, Jamal Murray struggled in the Olympics, First-rounder DaRon Holmes II tore his ACL, and the Nuggets went 1-4 in preseason… The vibes are now fixed thanks to Aaron Gordon.
Murray inked his new long-term deal with the Nuggets in September, which was always expected, but now Gordon has also signed an extension with the team as well! After Denver’s front office opted to let KCP walk this offseason, there was much debate about what would happen with Gordon moving forward.
There were rumblings at Nuggets media day about Gordon being excited about the idea of sticking around with Denver for the extended future. Now that Gordon's deal is finalized, the 2023 NBA Championship Core 4 of Jokic, Murray, Porter Jr., and Gordon will stay intact for at least another 3 years.
What are the details of the contract for Aaron Gordon?
Gordon agreed to opt into his $23 million contract for 2025-2026 and has signed on for 3 additional years at the maximum salary he could be offered by Denver, for $133 million total over the next 4 years.
Shams Sharania also noted that there will be bonuses built into the contract and that Gordon’s contract will have a trade kicker and a player option for 2028-2029. Looking forward at the Nuggets’ team salary situation is a bit daunting now, as the Nuggets Core 4 will earn a combined $181.9 million in 2026-2027 (107% of the projected salary cap).
With that being said, there are too many reasons to be wildly excited about this move for Denver and Gordon alike. Most notably, there are 5 reasons why the Nuggets solidifying this asset was an absolute no-brainer for the organization.
Gordon’s contract extension is a steal, not an “overpay” for Denver
Much of the conversation after the contract extension news broke was about why Denver elected to re-sign Gordon, but not Caldwell-Pope. As previously mentioned, with the team salary situation moving forward it was evident that signing both players long-term was unlikely.
The following 5 reasons are all completely logical answers for this decision that showcase exactly why Nuggets fans should be ecstatic about the Gordon extension:
Gordon is still in the middle of his prime - Unlike KCP who will be 32 years old in the coming months, Gordon just turned 29 last month. At the end of the 2028-2029 season, Air Gordon will be 33 years old, meaning that the vast majority of this contract extension will take place while he is still in his prime.
Gordon is crucial in terms of positional value and need - 6’8” forwards with elite athleticism and two-way ability do not grow on trees. There is a reason that Gordon was drafted 4th overall in the 2014 NBA Draft. Guards are much easier to replace and replenish than someone of Gordon’s stature and Denver’s size was a huge reason that they won the 2023 NBA title.
Godon is a versatile borderline-All-Defensive player - In addition to his physical traits, Gordon is an incredibly underrated defender. Not only can the San Jose native step out on the perimeter and defend players like Luka Doncic, Kawhi Leonard, or Kevin Durant, but he can also play backup center and bang down low with players like Anthony Davis and Rudy Gobert.
The Jokic-Gordon connection is elite - The Jokic-Murray two-man game understandably gets a ton of praise from NBA media, but the Jokic-Gordon connection can be just as deadly at times. The front court duo has been one of the most efficient passer-scorer pairs in the entire league since Gordon joined Denver, with many of those being insanely fun alley-oops.
Gordon is Mr. Nugget - The DNVR Nuggets crew rightfully named Gordon the new Mr. Nugget in 2023 and now he is here to stay. While Gordon might not be the first or even second best player on the team, he is the “soul of the team”. He is selfless. He is a culture setter. He prioritizes winning over everything else. Most of all, he is a great teammate and person.
Aaron Gordon and the Nuggets will begin the new season in the blink of an eye as they are set to clash with the Thunder on October 24th. With all of the key Nuggets now locked down for the foreseeable future, the team can finally start focusing solely on basketball soon.