Scary thought: Experts suggest Nuggets star may be prize of 2025 free agency

All of the attention recently in Nuggets land has surrounded Jamal Murray and his contract situation. Things looked like they were headed towards disaster, but the team got an extension done with Murray for four years and $208 million.

That deal has gotten plenty of feedback, both positive and negative, but it seems like things are much more settled for the team. For better or worse, the team is set for at least the coming season. The offseason drama is now in the past and fans can focus on the coming season and the actual basketball that will be played on the court.

Aaron Gordon contract extension looming over Nuggets

But there is one more piece of business to attend to and it’s going to become pressing sooner than later; the contract of Aaron Gordon. Of the core four players left on the team, Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Michael Porter Jr. are now all under contract for at least the next three seasons, but Gordon is entering the final year of his deal.

He has a player option for 2025-26 for $22.8 million, but it seems like a near certainty that he’ll decline that option and seek a bigger, longer deal. If this scenario sounds familiar, that’s because it is almost identical to the Kentavious Caldwell-Pope situation that played out all of last year.

That ordeal famously played out in disastrous fashion as the Nuggets weren’t able to extend KCP and he walked for nothing in free agency. The team absolutely cannot afford to let the same thing play out with Gordon.

Gordon is eligible for an extension at 140% of his previous salary, but that would arguably be less than he could make on the open market as a free agent. There’s a chance that Gordon will sign that deal; it’s still a lot of money and he’d lock up financial security for the rest of his prime.

Experts already saying Gordon may be the top free agent in 2025 offseason

But on a recent episode of the Lowe Post, Bobby Marks of ESPN suggested that Gordon could hit free agency next summer and would be the most coveted player on the market. That would be a nightmare situation for the Nuggets as they’d likely be priced out of the market if a bidding war for Gordon takes place.

Losing Gordon for nothing would be a disaster and the Nuggets need to get out ahead of this. They need to aggressively work to extend Gordon and if he’s not open to that, they need to ready for the harsh reality of trading Gordon. If he walks for nothing, they’ll have no means to replace him and the roster would take a massive hit.