There are things far worse than Aaron Gordon missing Game 3 for the Denver Nuggets with a calf injury, but not many. Fans thought the concern would be whether his hamstring would hold up, given how the regular season and last year's playoffs went. Now, they're worrying about his calf and how it will affect his status beyond Game 3, and then there are those ready to end the AG era this offseason.
Yes, you read that right.
I'm not going to sit here and write that Denver should trade Gordon this summer, as that's not a preferred scenario. The hope, of course, is that he will be able to return in time for Game 4 and help lead the Nuggets back to the territory they were in during 2023. It's hard to feel hopeful about that right now because of the nature of calf injuries, but let's not act like the world is ending just yet.
If AG is unable to return, though, and Denver's season ends in the first round (or even the second), the front office could feel pressure to shake things up with a Gordon trade. Should they? Not necessarily, but could they? Maybe. Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray aren't getting any younger.
Aaron Gordon is OUT tonight, per David Adelman
— Brendan Vogt (@BrendanVogt) April 24, 2026
Aaron Gordon is dealing with another injury in the playoffs
Gordon played 51 games in the 2024-25 regular season, his fewest in a full season with the Nuggets since the trade. The real blow came in last year's playoffs, when he suffered a Grade 2 hamstring strain in Game 6 in the semifinals against the Thunder. He was out there for Game 7, but he wasn't anywhere close to looking like himself.
If he hadn't gotten hurt, Game 7 could've gone in a different direction. Unfortunately, it was a sign of what was to come, not just for him, but for Denver as a team. AG was limited to 36 games during the regular season because of pesky hamstring issues, but he returned to the lineup at the beginning of March, with fans keeping their fingers crossed that he wouldn't tweak it again.
He's too important to what Denver is trying to do, which is sort of the problem. His health has been a big concern over the past couple of seasons, and it's continuing to trend in the wrong direction, at the worst possible time.
Let's hope that it's not as serious as it seems and that he won't miss more time, but if he does, the Nuggets could have to answer an uncomfortable question this summer about Gordon's future.
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