The Nuggets and forward Aaron Gordon have agreed on a contract extension, NBA insider Chris Haynes tweets. The deal will include a player option and a trade kicker, Shams Charania of ESPN tweets.
While Haynes and Charania refer to the contract as a four-year extension, the agreement will actually adding three new years to Gordon’s current contract and will begin in 2026.
Gordon, who is earning a base salary of $22.84MM in 2024/25, will exercise his $22.84MM player option for ’25/26 as part of the agreement, then receive his maximum salary for the next three seasons after that, Charania adds (Twitter link).
Because Gordon is eligible for a 40% raise on his option salary, the extension will start at $31.98MM, with a ’27/28 salary of $34.54MM and a player option worth $37.1MM in ’28/29. The deal will include $103.61MM in total new money over those three seasons, plus incentives that could increase the total value to approximately $109MM.
Gordon is the second Nuggets starter to get a major extension this offseason. Denver locked up point guard Jamal Murray with a four-year, maximum-salary extension in September.
Superstar center Nikola Jokic and forward Michael Porter Jr. are both signed through the 2026/27 season, with Jokic also holding a player option for ’27/28.
The Nuggets lost Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in free agency in July and were intent on keeping their remaining core intact. Gordon would have remained extension-eligible during the season if he had declined his ’25/26 option as part of an agreement, but had to get the deal done by Monday night in order to pick up that option and extend off that number.
If he had declined his option, Gordon would have eligible for up to $143.3MM on a four-year extension starting in 2025, so the Nuggets managed to get the deal done somewhat lower than that figure. That should help the team better manage its luxury tax situation in ’25/26.
Gordon has proven to be a versatile starter since he was acquired from Orlando during the 2020/21 season, fitting in well with Jokic on offense and providing solid defense on the wing. He has appeared in at least 68 regular season games in each of his three full seasons with Denver. Last season, Gordon averaged 13.9 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game while struggling with his shooting from deep (29.0%).
Good for Aaron and the Nuggets.