Aaron Gordon Trade Speculation Heating Up for the Nuggets

There's been no shortage of trade buzz surrounding the Denver Nuggets heading into this offseason ever since they got bounced in the first round of the playoffs to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Now that the season has finally come to a close with the Finals wrapped up, and the offseason action set to increase here in the next few days to weeks, that chatter is bound to see an uptick moving forward.

And based on some early intel, it seems like one name generating some increased traction across the league as a name to watch is veteran forward Aaron Gordon.

Aaron Gordon Gaining Trade Interest Around the League?

According to recent intel from Marc Stein on The Stein Line, sources seem to indicate that of anyone on the Nuggets' roster gaining trade interest around the league, Gordon is the one name that's caught the most attention.

"The early word on the Nuggets: I'm told Aaron Gordon, who turns 31 in September, is the Denver veteran drawing the strongest external trade interest," Stein wrote. "Next season will be the first on a three-year, $103.6 million contract extension that Gordon secured after helping Nikola Jokić and Co. win the first championship in the team's NBA history in 2022-23."

"The Nuggets are known to be determined to re-sign their restricted free agent-to-be Peyton Watson this summer but have been searching for a trade or two first that generates more financial flexibility with respect to the NBA's luxury tax aprons."

It's not to say that the Nuggets have serious interest in dealing Gordon away––he's simply someone that opposing front offices would be eager to have on their roster.

And based on Gordon's track record across the past several years in a Nuggets uniform, it's easy to see why that is.

Gordon has been a core component on the Nuggets' playoff rosters ever since he arrived via trade from the Orlando Magic in 2021. He's been a pivotal piece on both ends of the floor as one of the more versatile and athletic forwards in the NBA, and a perfect fit in the frontcourt next to Nikola Jokic.

Apr 20, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon (32) warms up before game two of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

But the Nuggets are at a crossroads when it comes to Gordon's future. Not just because of the financial implications that are in play for their upcoming offseason, but also for the health issues he's ran into for the past couple of years in particular.

Last season, Gordon would only play in 36 of the Nuggets' 82 games due to multiple hamstring injuries that he suffered throughout the season, along with missing time in Denver's brief playoff run. The year before, Gordon played in only 51 regular-season outings.

He's entering his age-31 season later this year. So if the Nuggets felt they needed to shed cap in order to retain Peyton Watson, but also capitalize on the trade value Gordon has left before any injury issues potentially flare up again, this summer might be the perfect time to investigate pulling the trigger on a deal.

Gordon is still also an extremely valuable piece to the Nuggets' current core––which is why other NBA teams could have interest in acquiring him. So for Denver, any trade conversation will come down to balancing his value to their success, how they could replace his impact if shipped off, while also considering the type of package and/or cap relief they could obtain in any case he's moved.

It's a tough dilemma for Denver to be put in, especially when involving a fixture like Gordon who's been pivotal to their success throughout the past six seasons. Time will tell how it all shakes out, but the chances are far from zero when weighing the likelihood of a potential move on Mr. Nugget.

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