October 22nd 2024.
The Denver Nuggets have made a big move by securing their core four players for the foreseeable future. The news was confirmed by sources within the league that Aaron Gordon has signed a four-year extension worth $133 million. This will keep him with the Nuggets until the 2028-29 season, if he chooses to stay. Initial reports of the extension were first shared by Shams Charania of ESPN.
Gordon, who is currently 29 years old, had the option to become a free agent next season. However, with this new extension, he will have the opportunity to opt-in on his $22.8 million salary for the 2025-26 season. This decision provides the Nuggets with some much-needed relief in terms of luxury tax for that particular season. After that, Gordon will earn his maximum salary along with bonuses for the next three seasons. This comes out to an average of $36.7 million per year, with another player option in 2028 before the final year of the contract. Sources have revealed that the salary will increase during those three years, with a cap hit of just under $32 million in 2026-27, $34.5 million in 2027-28, and $37.1 million in 2028-29, the season with the player option.
With the max extension for Jamal Murray also set to kick in next year, the Nuggets will have a total of $163.3 million committed to just four players for the 2025-26 season. This includes Gordon, Murray, Nikola Jokic, and Michael Porter Jr. As of now, the team has 13 players under contract for that season, with two of them having player options. This puts the Nuggets approximately $7.1 million below the second tax apron for next season.
Gordon was acquired by the Nuggets in a major trade with the Orlando Magic during the 2020-21 season. In exchange, the Nuggets sent Gary Harris, RJ Hampton, and a first-round draft pick in 2025 to the Magic. Since then, Gordon has transitioned from being a lead scoring option to complementing center Nikola Jokic in the frontcourt. This partnership has been a key factor in the Nuggets' success, with Gordon impressively guarding the likes of Karl-Anthony Towns, Kevin Durant, LeBron James, and Jimmy Butler during their championship run in 2023.
In his 3 and a half seasons with the Nuggets, Gordon has averaged 14.5 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 2.9 assists in 241 regular-season games. He has also dunked the ball a whopping 512 times, accounting for 22.3% of his field goal attempts with the team. His ability to thrive in the dunker spot, especially in a pick-and-roll set with Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic, has made him a valuable asset on the team.
However, Gordon's most memorable moment with the Nuggets so far was not a result of their surgical offensive precision, but a display of his incredible athleticism. It was on Christmas Day in 2022, with just 24 seconds remaining in an intense overtime game against the Phoenix Suns. Gordon sprinted down the court with the ball after a defensive stop and leaped towards the rim from about 10 feet away, posterizing Landry Shamet with a game-winning slam that sent the crowd at Ball Arena into a frenzy.
This season, Gordon will be wearing a new jersey number, 32, in honor of his late brother, Drew, who passed away in a car accident in May. He previously wore number 50. When asked about his contract negotiations on September 26, Gordon expressed his love for the organization, his teammates, and the coaching staff. He also mentioned his excitement about potentially staying with the Nuggets for years to come.
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