Mr. Nugget, Aaron Gordon, has had one heck of a run in the Mile High City. Gordon has spent six years with the Nuggets, five of them full seasons. But he's missed 77 games over the last two regular seasons, and finished last year's playoffs in Game 7 of the second round against the Thunder on essentially one leg.
At least he was on the court. He wasn't against the Timberwolves in Game 6's close-out loss of the opening round of the playoffs. It begs the question. Will Gordon ever be healthy enough to contribute meaningfully again? Should the Nuggets actually trade him? What can the Nuggets actually get for him in a trade?
Trading Gordon seemed once unthinkable
At just 25, Gordon was brought in to Denver to help shore up the defense and to give Denver a dynamic, athletic, low-post forward to pair alongside Nikola Jokic. His arrival formed a bit of a "big three" for the Nuggets.
But Jamal Murray tore his ACL the following season and missed the entire next year, too. Then, in 2022-23, they all won a title together, and Nuggets fans thought it was the start of a larger dynasty, one they had already been robbed of for two years without Murray.
Fast forward two years, and the Nuggets just got eliminated in April by the Timberwolves. And Gordon was nowhere to be found in the final game. He was on the sidelines, injured, again. And that's not his fault. We know he wants to be on the court. He's a warrior, he's the vibe guy in the locker room and on the floor.
But without him on the floor, his contract becomes a liability that the Nuggets should consider moving on from now.
The Nuggets could still get a decent package for Gordon
The reality is that Gordon is just 30, and he's still got the chance to battle for a contender for a couple of years. He could land a decent package in return, and perhaps the Nuggets could clear some cap space.
Gordon's extension kicks in next year to the tune of $33.6 million. That's not a small amount for someone whose health is always a question mark.
The Nuggets had obvious holes to plug. Namely, a defender of Gordon's caliber on the court. The Nuggets gave up 68 points in the paint in Game 3 without Gordon, and 64 points in Game 6.
The Nuggets also need someone on the court who can create off the dribble. Gordon can, but he wasn't on the court. Cam Johnson created for himself in Games 5 and 6, and he scored 18 and 27 points in those two games.
It's a reality Nuggets fans didn't think they'd consider not long ago, but here we are. Now the question is, what will the Nuggets do with AG this offseason? If anything?
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