To win a championship at the NBA level, you need a superstar. The Denver Nuggets obviously have that in Nikola Jokić. In most cases, you need a star-level second player. The Nuggets have that in Jamal Murray.
But you also need a connector, in many cases. The guy who is a role player, but can do so many things on both ends of the floor that he becomes essential to the unit as a whole.
Aaron Gordon has been that for Denver, which is why the Nuggets and Gordon agreed to a $133 million extension over four years on the eve of the 2024-25 NBA season, a team source told The Athletic on Monday.
“In many ways, Aaron is the heart and soul of the team,” Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth told The Athletic. “He does a lot of things on the floor that makes us go. The guys rally around him in the locker room, and now with this agreement, we can move forward as a unit. We are built as a team to go deep into the playoffs.”
Gordon, a 29-year-old, 6-foot-8 power forward, will opt into his $22.8 million player option for next year, then receive maximum money over the following three seasons. With the Nuggets looming close to the CBA’s dreaded second apron, Gordon opting into the final year of his contract gives Denver added cap flexibility this season.
It also helps the Nuggets in the future. By signing Gordon for 2025-26 at his player option value of $22.8 million rather than his maximum allowable raise to $32 million, the Nuggets can stay below the second apron in 2025-26 and use their taxpayer midlevel exception to sign another player. The Nuggets are $11.7 million over next year’s projected tax line if all 13 contracts stay on the roster (in addition to potential trades, Dario Sarić and Russell Westbrook have player options). They likely will have no picks in the 2025 draft, so the 14th roster spot could be a tax midlevel acquisition.
Gordon’s value to Denver on the floor is immense. He’s one of the best and most versatile defenders in the NBA. With many power forwards lacking brute strength in the more open modern NBA, Gordon’s ability to power through contact for baskets in the paint often presents matchup issues for opposing teams.
Yet he also handles the ball like a guard, which allows him to grab rebounds and start transition opportunities. And he’s one of the best lob threats in the league.
In the locker room, Gordon is one of the most trusted voices on Denver’s roster. He has developed a lasting friendship with Jokić, and the two have a rare chemistry on and off the floor.
Gordon has proven to be a vital piece to a championship team. Now, the Nuggets will move forward over the long term with Jokić, Gordon, Murray and Michael Porter Jr. all under contract for the forseeable future.
“He’s very valuable to everything we do,” Booth said. “We recognize that, and we’re glad that we were able to get a deal done. He means a lot to the organization, so we are very happy that he is going to be with us going forward.”
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(Photo: David Berding / Getty Images)
