The Nuggets looked completely lifeless on Thursday night in Minnesota for Game 3, playing without their X-Factor, Aaron Gordon. They got smoked from the opening tip with Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray looking overwhelmed and exhausted. The team showed no fight and no heart, getting pounded,113-96, to fall behind 2-1 in the series.
It was tough to watch, but if you’ve watched the Nuggets play without AG, it wasn’t totally shocking. He’s obviously not their best player, but he’s the straw that stirs the drink on both ends of the floor, and without him, it almost feels like they’re drawing dead.
Well, luckily enough, it’s looking like it will only be a one-game absence for Gordon, who was upgraded to available shortly before Game 4, and will give it a go. It’s hard to imagine he’s close to 100%, but we’ve seen him gut it out under some pretty bad circumstances in the past, and based on what we saw in Game 3, any version of AG is likely better than none.
Critical lineup news: Denver's Aaron Gordon will return tonight in Game 4 against the Minnesota Timberwolves (8:30 pm ET on ABC), sources tell ESPN. Gordon is playing through a calf injury that sidelined him for Game 3.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 25, 2026
The calf caused him to miss just one crucial playoff game after he battled with it all season, ultimately appearing in just 36 games. Gordon is so valuable and important to the team; when he’s right, it’s not crazy to say this might be the best team in the entire league. But without him, it’s a totally different story, and unfortunately.
We know how tough AG is, and what he's willing to fight through with his team's season on the line. Hopefully, he has enough in him to help the team and he's not going to be hobbling around on one leg, or risking making this injury much worse.
Nuggets must have uncomfortable conversations about Gordon’s future
Gordon is Mr. Nugget. He was vital in winning a championship. And he can still play at an elite level. But the bottom line is, he has become unreliable. This is the second straight year where he has been, at least, extremely compromised for the playoffs, and as good as Jokic and Murray are, they can’t win in the postseason without their third-best player.
Gordon has an extension kicking in next season that will pay him $33.7 million next season, $36.4 million for 2027-28, followed by a player option for $39.1 million in 2028-29. By the end of that deal, AG will be 33, Murray 32, and Jokic 34. Realistically, that’s probably the ceiling for the end of this championship core.
If the Nuggets can’t pull this series out, or fall a round later, that will be three straight seasons in the heart of Jokic’s prime without a trip past the second round. He’s obviously still playing at a high level, but he’s not getting any younger.Â
There are going to be some uncomfortable conversations taking place within the Nuggets’ front office this summer, and they are going to be tasked with determining the best path forward for Jokic and the team to win titles. At some point, it’s going to become a real question of whether or not that includes a constantly injured and aging Gordon, as beloved as he is.
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