Aaron Gordon agrees to 4-year, $133 million extension with Nuggets: Why Denver kept his 'heart and soul'

You need a superstar to win a championship at the NBA level. The Denver Nuggets are clearly into Nikola Jokic. In most cases, you need a star-level second player. The Nuggets have Jamal Murray.

But in many cases you also need a connector. A guy who is a role player, but can do so much on both ends of the floor that he becomes indispensable to the entire unit.

Aaron Gordon for Denver, so the Nuggets and Gordon agreed to a four-year, $133 million extension on the eve of the 2024-25 NBA season, a team source said. athletic monday

“In many ways, Aaron is the heart and soul of the team,” Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth said. athletic. “He does a lot on the floor that makes us go. The guys rallied around him in the locker room and now with this deal, we can move forward as a unit. We are ready as a team to go deep into the playoffs.”

Gordon, a 29-year-old, 6-foot-8 power forward, will pick up his $22.8 million player option for next year, then receive the maximum amount over the next three seasons. With the Nuggets approaching the dreaded second apron of the CBA, Gordon added cap flexibility this season to Denver opting into the final year of his contract.

It also helps nugget in the future. By signing Gordon at his player option value of $22.8 million for 2025-26 instead of his maximum allowable $32 million, the Nuggets can stay under the second apron in 2025-26 and use their taxpayer midlevel exception to sign another player. If all 13 contracts are on the roster (in addition to potential trades, Dario Sarić and Russell Westbrook have player options), the Nuggets are $11.7 million over next year's projected tax line. They likely won't have a pick in the 2025 draft, so the 14th roster spot could be a taxing midlevel acquisition.

Gordon's value to Denver on the floor is immense. He is one of the best and most versatile defenders in the NBA. Lacking the brute strength of many power forwards in the more open modern NBA, Gordon's ability to power through contact for baskets in the paint often presents matchup problems for opposing teams.

Yet he handles the ball like a guard, allowing him to grab rebounds and initiate 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 Jokic and the two have a rare chemistry on and off the floor.

Gordon proved to be a vital piece to a championship team. Now, the Nuggets will move on long term with Jokic, Gordon, Murray and Michael Porter Jr. under contract for the foreseeable future.

“He's very valuable to us all,” Booth said. “We recognize that, and we're happy that we were able to reach an agreement. He means a lot to the organization, so we are very happy that he will be with us going forward.”

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(Photo: David Birding/Getty Images)