Aaron Gordon and the Nuggets are ready to work on extension

DENVER—Aaron Gordon can start negotiating a new contract come Friday and he’s ready to talk with the Denver Nuggets about staying—likewise the team’s brass is interested in keeping the starting power forward around into the future.

Gordon is under contract for the coming season with a player option for 2025-26. His current price tag of $22.8 million cap hit is a good deal for the Nuggets. And if Gordon left this offseason not only would he likely earn more but he would be one of the more coveted free agents.

But Gordon isn’t in a rush to hit the market and that could be key for a Nuggets core that is up against their budgets.

“I really love this organization,” Gordon said on Thursday. “I love the players on this team. I love the coaching staff. So I hope we get it done. It seems like it’s moving forward in the right direction. So I’m excited. I’m excited hopefully to be extended and to stay with this organization.”

Gordon, 29, joined the Nuggets during the 2020-21 season in a big trade that sent Gary Harris among other things to the Magic. Gordon went from star of Orlando to role player in a heartbeat instantly fitting in and elevating Denver to a championship contender. That hope was delayed a few years because of injuries to Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. but Gordon was still around because he signed his current four-year deal in the summer of 2021.

As Gordon’s wealth grew, his knowledge of the game blossomed in becoming the ying to Nikola Jokic’s yang in the frontcourt. And it’s this meshing and the health of Murray and Porter that pushed the Nuggets to their first-ever title back in 2023.

“Hopefully we have some productive talks with his representation, and we’re able to find a deal that we’re both satisfied with,” Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth said on Thursday. “He’s been an integral part of what we’ve done. And we’d like to keep him here for a long time.”

Gordon has played 241 regular-season games for the Nuggets, notching 14.5 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.9 assists a night on 54 shooting. His dunks and attitude have resonated with Nuggets fans as he’s become one of the most-liked role players in team history. The former fourth overall pick in the NBA Draft from Arizona, Gordon still has enough skill and size to play a versatile role where he’s slid behind Jokic to center in the playoffs. AG has played another 47 games for the Nuggets in the postseason, tallying 13.1 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game on 51% shooting.

Denver would love to have Gordon around longer—that’s without question but in keeping Gordon next to the already paid Jokic and Murray, would push the money of the team into the stratosphere. And with Michael Porter Jr. also soon to be extension eligible and already on a max deal, the Nuggets are staring the very scary second tax apron in the face. That mechanism and its consequences likely scared the Kroenkes out of paying Kentavious Caldwell-Pope this summer.

But in keeping Gordon, the Nuggets would have their core four through the summer of 2027 and they could likely fill in the rest with limited assets—they already know how hard it was to find a perfect power forward for Jokic and especially one who wants to be in Denver.