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Having proven himself to be a great fit in head coach Michael Malone’s system, Aaron Gordon has reportedly committed to the Denver Nuggets after the two sides agreed to a new deal on Monday.
Per ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Nuggets will sign Gordon to a four-year, $133 million contract extension with a player option in 2028-29 and a trade kicker.
Charania added more details:
Shams Charania @ShamsCharania
Aaron Gordon’s new deal comes via opting in on his $23 million salary for 2025-26, then three additional years at his maximum salary plus bonuses. Total of $133M. A key member of Denver’s 2023 championship team is now locked in long term. https://t.co/M7x2coMJJm
It was going to be interesting to see how the Nuggets would navigate being in the midst of a championship window with the new realities of the NBA salary cap. They have lost Bruce Brown and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in free agency the past two offseasons after they were so vital to the title run during the 2022-23 season.
Gordon, Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. were all extension eligible this offseason. Murray wound up agreeing to a four-year, $208 million deal on Sept. 7 that ties him to the team through the 2028-29 season.
Despite losing some of their depth because of the apron restrictions, the Nuggets are going to go as far as Gordon, Murray, Porter and Nikola Jokić take them.
Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth told reporters during the team’s media day on Sept. 26 that he was hopeful to get a deal done with Gordon.
“Hopefully we have some productive talks with his representation and we’re able to find a deal that we’re both satisfied with,” Booth said. “He’s been an integral part of what we’ve done and we’d like to keep him here for a long time.”
Gordon would have been able to hit free agency next summer if he turned down his $22.8 million player option.
The 29-year-old has been such a vital player for the Nuggets since being acquired from the Orlando Magic in March 2021. He has increased his offensive efficiency with 14.5 points on 54.2 percent shooting and 2.9 assists per game in 241 starts over the past four seasons.
Malone has also tasked Gordon with defending the best offensive player on teams at times, especially during the playoffs, and he has been able to hold his own. All of these attributes made it an easy call for the Nuggets to give a long-term commitment to Gordon.
