Aaron Gordon, Nuggets share mutual optimism about contract extension, sources say

In the weeks pursuing the Aaron Gordon trade, determination was budding excitement astir the heights this mentation of the Nuggets could reach.

And adjacent though Jamal Murray’s ACL teardrop undermined that pursuit past season, Gordon and the Nuggets recovered a worthwhile concern that could widen beyond this upcoming season.

There is communal optimism, league sources told The Denver Post, astir a declaration hold for Gordon. A caller woody could travel arsenic aboriginal arsenic this week, a root said.

Gordon is eligible for a four-year, $88 cardinal extension. One root projected a woody could beryllium for 2 oregon 3 years astatine an mean yearly wage of $20 cardinal to $21 cardinal per year.

The 25-year-old guardant is entering the last twelvemonth of his four-year, $80 cardinal deal, which is worthy $16.4 cardinal this season.

When the Nuggets traded Gary Harris, rookie R.J. Hampton and a aboriginal first-round prime to Orlando astatine the deadline, they envisioned Gordon being a portion of their halfway moving forward. An hold would brace him with franchise cornerstones Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, successful summation to, potentially, Michael Porter Jr., who’s hold eligible himself up until the commencement of the season.

At astir $20 cardinal per play for Gordon, the Nuggets could person much than $110 cardinal committed to Jokic, Murray, Porter and Gordon for the 2022-’23 play and beryllium barreling toward the luxury taxation — which is acceptable astatine $136 cardinal this play but is expected to emergence adjacent year.

Gordon’s acceptable was perfect earlier Murray’s wounded but became little seamless aft it. When helium was acquired, Gordon was fundamentally the 4th oregon 5th violative enactment and tasked with spearheading the defence connected opposing wings, and successful immoderate cases, guards. He thrived successful the erstwhile relation and past struggled erstwhile tasked with much violative work successful the aftermath of Murray’s injury.

Gordon’s playoff numbers — 11.1 points per crippled connected 43% shooting and 5.4 rebounds — were underwhelming. But the Nuggets would wage him a handsome sum to beryllium the subordinate helium was earlier Murray’s injury, erstwhile helium changeable 56% from the tract successful 8 games.

Gordon has spent the bulk of the summertime successful Los Angeles moving with NBA trainer Chris Johnson. The emphasis, according to a league source, was connected honing his mid-post game. The pick-up games Gordon’s played successful person included chap NBA players Ben Simmons, Ja Morant, Jordan Clarkson, Lonnie Walker, Jaren Jackson Jr., Justise Winslow, Tyrese Maxey and others.