The Nuggets and forward Aaron Gordon are optimistic about reaching an agreement on a contract extension, possibly as early as this week, sources inform Mike Singer of the Denver Post.
Gordon, 25, qualifies for a four-year extension worth up to $88MM, which would be tacked onto his $16.4MM salary for the 2021/22 season.
However, Denver is apparently not quite looking to ink the 25-year-old to a full maximum extension, Singer indicates. A source tells The Denver Post that a deal may in the range of $20-21MM annually for two or three years.
Gordon, a versatile forward who can play both positions, was acquired in a trade with the Magic at the deadline during the 2020/21 season to essentially replace Jerami Grant. Grant left the Nuggets in a sign-and-trade during his own free agency in 2020, eyeing a larger role with the Pistons on a three-year, $60MM deal that Denver offered to match. Gordon may wind up with a very similar new contract to the one first tendered to his predecessor in 2020.
Though Gordon proved to be an underwhelming addition on offense upon first arriving to Denver in a pandemic-truncated 2020/21 season, he exhibited plenty of athletic promise on defense playing alongside ascendant forward Michael Porter Jr. during his brief tenure with the Nuggets so far.
After averaging 14.6 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 4.2 APG, 0.8 BPG and 0.6 SPG on .437/.375/.629 across 25 games for a lottery-bound Orlando club, Gordon’s counting stats and three-point efficiency declined when he arrived on a team with serious playoff aspirations. In 25 games with Denver, he averaged 10.2 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 2.2 APG, 0.7 SPG, and 0.6 BPG on .500/.266/.705 shooting.
With starting point guard Jamal Murray most likely sidelined for the start of the season, Gordon could be featured more in the Nuggets’ offensive sets, behind 2021 MVP Nikola Jokic and Porter.
They should be looking to sign him for even less than the $18M/year that Eric Gordon is making because he’s not even as good as that other overpaid Gordon.
I’d comment about how you’re wrong, but you’re just going to flag my comment and get it removed like you do every other post.
Why is Eric Gordon even brought up in an Aaron Gordon post? Are you having a stroke??
Raz I think you’re replying to the wrong person. Because my point I would make is agreeing with yours.
No I was replying to GWP, not sure how it went to you. My fault.
No worries.
Didn’t Aaron Gordon show that he is a tremendous disappointment? Not sure if I’d extend him to that kind of money again. Orlando probably had to give it to him 4 years ago because there was still promise of development. Well here he is and he’s done nothing. A paycut should be in order here.
That trade definitely didn’t work out the way the Nuggets hoped it would.
Each of the players they gave up had similar numbers in Orlando to what Gordon had in Denver (not to mention the first round pick they gave up).
If he’s smart he’ll take whatever they offer him instead of ending up like Oladipo and losing millions by waiting until his value drops even more.
He doesn’t need to score a lot of points in Denver, especially once Murray comes back, he’s their 5th best scorer out of their starters. He just needs to defend the other team’s best player, and make his back door cuts and corner threes.
Between Jokic, Porter, Barton, and Murray I wouldn’t want him taking more than 10 shorts a game anyways!
His defense is important, but players like PJ Tucker who provide very little offensive usually make around $7M/year, not $20M.
PJ literally put up 0 points in a lot of playoff games, hard to compare him to Aaron)))
Gordon offers way more than Tucker. There’s no comparison between the two. In the brief period when the Nuggets had all their players last year (lasted about three weeks), Gordon was a perfect fit. He cut to the bucket and Jokic hit him time and again (Gordon’s an elite finisher, unlike someone like Tucker), which opened up everything for Murray and Porter. They were unstoppable. And Gordon took the opponent’s best wing so Porter didn’t have to.
It’s only when everyone started getting hurt that Gordon became a creative option by default, and that’s not his game.
The main strength I saw in his brief time with Denver was his cutting. Other than that his shot was willing but inconsistent, defense attentive but far from effective.
He kind of fits the flashy reputation the Nuggets offense has, given that he dunks Jokic’ passes, but I’m not sure that warrants such a big payday. He’s basically a younger Millsap and that might be a slight on Millsap.
I agree. He does some important things defensively, but offensively it’s just cutting and passing. Which is very helpful playing with Jokic and no Jamal murray, but he is limited. He’s never shown he can be a go to scorer or shooter, even as much as he chucked it down in Orlando.
That is exactly what you want when the rest of your starting lineup features Jokic, Porter, Murray and Barton. Last thing you want is someone who’s all about creating shots for himself.
Seamaholic 2, just as your post a little earlier.., this is very well explained. Good post.
To me its all mental with Gordon. He has defensive and offensive lapses. He’s athletic and does everything at a fair level. I’d prefer to see him rebound, defend, cut more, some inside moves, and improve corner 3’s. If he can show improvement then I’ll be a buyer. Short term deal for this guy and let him prove it. He’s shown me to rely only on athleticism. Right now he’s behind Jokic, Murray, Porter Jr., and making close to $20/yr is an overpay. Ask yourself would you give this guy the ball over those 3? Granted Murray is hurt but why overpay for an avg guy who does a little of everything and has shown to be mentally limited. With Murray out, if he can avg 20+ pts, defend, rebound closer to 8-9, make other players better, and be reliable for key plays then ya, pay him.
He is a super duper athlete, just not a super duper basketball player.
However, I would take him on my team
AG would certainly help the Orioles… they are sooo bad I think anyone’s grandma would help them, right?
No wonder you take him, right?
I don’t think Aaron Gordon would be able to get 20 million as a free agent. And I don’t know that his roleplaying skills are irreplaceable. But he is a very high level role player. And possibly with a year in the Nuggets system, his 3 point shooting numbers will improve. Few energy guys get paid big. Marcus Smart got a deal starting at 17 million. Montrezl got 10 million. Torrey Craig got 5. Jae Crowder got 10. Dwight Howard got less than 2. I like how the Nuggets looked before Murray went out last year…the Nuggets need a guy who can cut to the rim and defend the way Gordon defends. But ultimately, the Nuggets success will be mostly determined by Murray, Michael Porter Jr , and Jokic.