The Denver Nuggets unknowingly traded for a key piece of their 2023 championship team when they acquired Aaron Gordon in 2021. It was a trade they felt confident in, but even the most optimistic fans didn't foresee how good Gordon would be in Denver. Four years have passed since the trade, and it has aged better than expected.
Gordon spent the first six and a half years of his career in Orlando after the Magic drafted him with the No. 4 overall pick in 2014. During that span, Orlando made the playoffs twice, but didn't make it past the first round. The Magic went 2-for-10 in the postseason.
AG went from being a star on a lowly team to playing behind homegrown star talents, Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, on a rising team in the West. No one knew how he would accept his changed role, and what kind of player he'd be for the Nuggets, especially not a player who'd be a shooting threat.
He signed a four-year, $133 million extension with Denver before the 2024-25 season. There were questions about whether the Nuggets should trade him or extend him, but the front office made the right decision to lock him down.
Gordon averaged 14.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game during the regular season for the Nuggets, shooting 53.1% from the field and 43.6% from three. He played 51 games as he battled injuries, his lowest since the trade. That didn't hold him back too much. AG was unreal in the playoffs, hitting clutch shots (and a clutch dunk), skyrocketing his value.
Aaron Gordon is a key part of the Nuggets' championship aspirations
The past two seasons didn't go the way Denver hoped, but this summer, Ben Tenzer and Jon Wallace propelled the Nuggets back to the place they were two years ago. Since winning its first-ever title two years ago, Denver is in the best position to add another championship to the trophy case.
Sure, adding players like Cam Johnson and Bruce Brown helped boost the Nuggets' title odds, but as he has proven time and time again, Denver needs AG to win another championship. They were close to returning to the WCF over the Thunder, the eventual champion, in the 2025 playoffs, but a hamstring strain limited what Gordon could do in Game 7.
He's healthy and ready to go for the 2025-26 season, and hopefully, his status stays that way. Players like Jokic and Murray rightfully receive a lot of hype, but Gordon is the do-it-all player who you need on your roster if you want to win.
AG hasn't been in Denver as long as he was in Orlando, but it almost feels like he's been with the Nuggets for longer. He was the missing piece — and he isn't going anywhere.