Aaron Gordon Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Extension Rumors: Durant, Kuminga, Moody, Sengun, Green, Gordon

October 18th, 2024 at 6:02pm CST by Luke Adams

Suns forward Kevin Durant won’t sign a contract extension before the regular season begins, Shams Charania said during an appearance on Friday’s episode of NBA Today on ESPN (YouTube link).

As we outlined on Thursday, Durant – who has two years left on his current maximum-salary deal – is eligible until October 21 to sign a one-year extension worth up to $59.5MM. If he doesn’t sign that extension by Monday, his next opportunity to extend his contract will come during the 2025 offseason.

Durant downplayed the likelihood of completing a deal this fall, but has expressed “publicly and privately how much he loves Phoenix,” according to Charania, who suggests that both the former MVP and the team are focused on getting something done next offseason, when Durant could add two new years to his current contract for a total of $123.8MM.

The Over-38 rule prohibits Durant from signing any deal that would keep him under contract for four or more total years going forward.

Here are a few more of the latest updates on players who are eligible for contract extensions:

The Warriors and Jonathan Kuminga remain “far apart” in their extension negotiations, according to Charania, who said during that same NBA Today segment that there’s a sense Kuminga may enter the season without a new deal in place, putting him on track for restricted free agency in 2025. Charania adds that the Warriors forward is comfortable with the idea of betting on himself in 2024/25 and trying to earn a maximum-salary contract – or something close to it – next summer. Moses Moody appears “much more likely” than Kuminga to sign an extension with Golden State before Monday’s deadline, per Charania.
The Rockets have had “productive” conversations with both Alperen Sengun and Jalen Green and have made extension offers that would provide them with long-term financial security, according to Charania. However, Charania notes that those offers are below the max, so Sengun and Green will have to decide whether they’re willing to accept those deals or if they want to push for bigger paydays by opting for restricted free agency.
The Nuggets and forward Aaron Gordon are in “active conversations” about an extension, per Charania. Gordon is eligible to sign for up to $143.3MM on a four-year deal that would begin in 2025/26, though ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on the Hoop Collective podcast (YouTube link) that Denver is hoping to get him to accept a little less than that. “They haven’t handed out that (max) offer,” Windhorst said (hat tip to RealGM). “Otherwise he would have signed it. From what I understand, they are negotiating and they’re hopeful of getting him at less than what would be his quote, unquote max.”
In an Insider-only story for ESPN.com, Bobby Marks examines some of this year’s top extension candidates and shares the offers he’d put on the table for several of them, including $148MM for Jalen Johnson, $128MM for Josh Giddey, and a whopping $165MM for Jalen Suggs (all five-year deals).

And-Ones: NBAGL Trades, Extension Candidates, Woj’s Replacement, More

October 1st, 2024 at 9:29am CST by Luke Adams

Toronto’s G League affiliate – the Raptors 905 – has made a pair of trades in recent days, including a four-team deal that sent Kennedy Chandler‘s returning rights to the 905, according to Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link). As we noted recently when the NBA’s Raptors signed and waived Chandler, their G League team still needed to acquire the guard’s rights in order to get him on the 905’s roster this fall.

That four-team trade also saw the Long Island Nets acquire Au’Diese Toney‘s returning rights and a 2025 first-round pick, the Birmingham Squadron (Pelicans) acquire Trhae Mitchell‘s returning rights, and the Rio Grande Valley Vipers (Rockets) land the rights to Devin Cannady and Markquis Nowell along with a 2024 first-round pick.

In the 905’s other trade, the Raptors’ affiliate sent Koby McEwen‘s returning rights to the Windy City Bulls in exchange for Evan Gilyard‘s rights, tweets Murphy.

Fred Katz of The Athletic identifies five of the most interesting extension-eligible veterans to keep an eye on this fall, singling out Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon, Grizzlies big man Jaren Jackson Jr., and Mavericks center Daniel Gafford, among others.
Who are the candidates to replace Adrian Wojnarowski as ESPN’s top NBA insider? According to reporting from Andrew Marchand of The Athletic and Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports, while big-name NBA reporters like Shams Charania and Chris Haynes are possibilities, it’s also not out of the question that one of ESPN’s other top news-breakers, such as Jeff Passan or Adam Schefter, could end up in the role. Marchand says Passan is a candidate to switch from MLB to the NBA, while McCarthy suggests it’s not out of the question for Schefter to take on a dual role covering the NFL and NBA.
In an in-depth Insider-only article for ESPN, Bobby Marks takes a look at all 30 teams’ training camp rosters and examines the key dates and deadlines coming up for each of those clubs.
Taking into account their projected regular season win totals, John Hollinger of The Athletic picks five teams he expects to exceed expectations in 2024/25, including the Cavaliers, Suns, and Pistons.

Western Notes: Nuggets, Westbrook, Clippers, Lakers, Pelicans, Meeks

September 29th, 2024 at 7:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Among the noteworthy developments revealed during the press conferences held by Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth and coach Michael Malone on Thursday was that the team is open to adding a 3-point shooter by the trade deadline, according to Bennett Durando of the Denver Post.

“We are riding a fine line with our shooting when you have Russell Westbrook, Aaron Gordon and Peyton Watson all in your rotation,” Booth said. “And I think Christian (Braun) should be left out of that conversation when he shoots 42.9% above the break last year. But it is gonna be a fine line. It’s something we have to monitor. If we need to address our shooting at the trade deadline, we’ll do it.”

Another interesting tidbit is that Westbrook wasn’t mentioned as a potential starter, but he could be in the closing lineup.

We have more from the Western Conference:

The Clippers have plenty of concerns heading into training camp, among them Kawhi Leonard‘s health status and whether James Harden can take an even bigger role at age 35 after the departures of Paul George and Westbrook. The Orange County Register’s Janis Carr explores five major storylines for the club.
The five-storyline motif was also the subject of Khobi Price’s preview of Lakers camp for the Register. Among the topics he dove into were Anthony Davis‘ usage, Jarred Vanderbilt‘s injury status and first-rounder Dalton Knecht‘s role.
Former NBA guard Jodie Meeks has been added to the Pelicans’ coaching staff, according to a team press release. The Pelicans announced a number of other staff additions and promotions. Former WNBA star Swin Cash has been promoted to senior VP of basketball operations and Rohan Ramadas has been elevated to senior director of analytics and innovation. New Orleans also officially announced Dan Geriot as an assistant coach and Greg Monroe as a player development assistant.

Nuggets Notes: Westbrook, Murray, Title Window, Malone, Gordon

September 27th, 2024 at 8:19am CST by Luke Adams

Appearing at the Nuggets‘ media day on Thursday after joining the team as a free agent over the summer, Russell Westbrook expressed excitement about his new opportunity and earned praise from teammates and his new head coach alike, as Ryan McFadden of The Denver Post writes.

“He has a competitive, ‘I’m going to get in your s–t’ mindset that I love,” head coach Michael Malone said. “… I think he’s going to help individual players achieve their potential and push them to be the best they can be. I love guys (who) bring it every single night, and that’s what he has done.”

While the former MVP has a much different skill set than Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, the Nuggets’ former starting shooting guard who signed with Orlando in July, Malone believes Westbrook is underrated on defense and is capable of making up some of what Denver lost on that end of the court as a result of Caldwell-Pope’s departure.

“When we went back and watched his defense last year with the Clippers, at the end of games, he was on the opposing team’s best player every night,” Malone said.

Here’s more on the Nuggets:

Jamal Murray struggled in both the postseason in the spring and the Olympics in the summer, and Nuggets president Josh Kroenke said last month that health issues were a significant factor. However, Murray told reporters on Thursday that he has no injury-related limitations entering training camp and that he feels good, per Bennett Durando of The Denver Post.
The Nuggets believe their championship window remains very much open entering the 2024/25 season, as Baxter Holmes of ESPN relays. “In a best-case scenario, I think Nikola (Jokic) has a prime 10-year contention window,” general manager Calvin Booth said. “I think we’re about halfway through it. So, we probably have about five more similar shots and all the shots count. We hit one of them, that’s great. The earlier we hit it, the more we can have conversations about other things, but it’s going to be incredibly hard to win another one.” According to Malone, Murray has expressed to his teammates that they should feel a sense of urgency to capitalize on that title window. “He reminds his teammates, don’t take this for granted,” Malone said. “He goes, ‘We have a championship window, not every team has a championship window. And what do you do? Do you take advantage of that, or do you look back in 20 years and have regrets?'”
Booth acknowledged that he’ll be keeping a close eye during the first half of the season on whether the Nuggets have enough shooting in their rotation and will be prepared to move at the trade deadline to address that area if necessary, writes Sean Keeler of The Denver Post.
Asked on Thursday about offseason rumors of tension between him and Booth, Malone offered a diplomatic answer, Keeler notes. “Calvin and I shouldn’t always agree. If we’re always agreeing, then we’re not really accomplishing what we need to accomplish,” the Nuggets’ head coach said. “But through those disagreements and through those conversations, you come to a greater good.”
Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon, who becomes eligible on Friday for an extension worth up to $143MM over four years, indicated on Twitter that he’d be interested in representing Team USA at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. In case you missed it, Gordon and the Nuggets expressed optimism this week about the possibility of reaching a long-term deal.
A total of 20 Nuggets games will be televised over the air for free locally in 2024/25, while a new streaming service called Altitude+ will allow subscribers to watch the team’s other non-national broadcasts, according to Durando. Nuggets executive Kevin Demoff told Durando that the team is still looking to resolve a carriage dispute between Altitude Sports and Comcast that would allow local Comcast customers to watch Nuggets games. Altitude had been blacked out on Comcast since 2019.

Nuggets, Aaron Gordon Optimistic About Possible Extension

September 26th, 2024 at 3:31pm CST by Rory Maher

Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon will be eligible for a four-year contract extension as of Friday, September 27. A four-year extension would require Gordon to decline his $22.84MM player option for 2025/26, with the first year of a potential new deal replacing that option.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, general manager Calvin Booth said he hopes the former No. 4 overall pick remains a Nugget for the foreseeable future.

“Hopefully we have some productive talks with his representation and are able to find a deal,” Booth said (Twitter link via Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports). “… We want Aaron here for a long time.”

Gordon also sounded optimistic about a deal coming to fruition, per Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette (Twitter link)

“I really love this organization,” Gordon said. “I love the players on this team. I love the coaching staff. I hope we get it done. It seems like it’s moving forward in the right direction.”

Gordon, who turned 29 years old last week, played a key role in helping the Nuggets win their first championship in 2023. He’s a highly versatile player on both ends of the court and has excellent chemistry with three-time MVP Nikola Jokic.

According to Tony Jones of The Athletic, Gordon also touched on the tragic passing of his older brother Drew, who died following a car accident at the end of May. Drew played professionally for over a decade, including a stint with the Sixers in 2014/15.

“I always leaned on my brother,” Gordon said. “I understand I can’t take any relationship for granted. My teammates have been there every step of the way. They came to his service and his funeral. These guys have developed into my brothers.”

Gordon changed his jersey from No. 50 to No. 32 to honor his brother, per the NBA (Twitter video link).

“It was my brother’s favorite number, my dad’s favorite number, my sister played in it in college, I played in it in high school… it feels like home,” he said.

Western Notes: Gordon, Rockets Roster, Divac, Doncic, Kennard

September 22nd, 2024 at 9:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Aaron Gordon becomes eligible for a four-year contract extension later this week and that will be one of the big storylines at the Nuggets’ training camp, Bennett Durando of the Denver Post writes. Gordon has a player option for the 2025/26 season but could replace that with the first year of a new deal as part of an extension agreement.

Jamal Murray‘s health and the way Russell Westbrook fits into the Nuggets’ rotation are among the other storylines to watch in Denver, according to Durando.

We have more from the Western Conference:

With the Rockets buying out and waiving forward AJ Griffin, they have an open spot on the official roster. How will it be filled? It could turn into a competition among players on two-ways and training camp deals, according to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. Jeenathan Williams, Nate Hinton, N’Faly Dante, Jermaine Samuels and Jack McVeigh comprise that group. Houston could also opt to leave that spot open or sign a free agent.
Former Kings general manager Vlade Divac made one of the biggest draft blunders in recent years when he passed on Luka Doncic in favor of Marvin Bagley in 2018. Divac admits he made a mistake but explained that he already had a talented floor leader in De’Aaron Fox. “I could’ve taken Luka, but then I would’ve had to trade Fox,” he said in an interview with Index, a Croatian outlet (hat tip to Grant Afseth of the Dallas Sports Journal).
Grizzlies players have been competing in 5-on-5 scrimmages for over a month and Luke Kennard is impressed by the team’s competitiveness and attention to detail. “Something I haven’t really seen before,” Kennard told Damichael Cole of the Memphis Commercial Appeal. “We’re really pushing each other and competing really hard. I think that’s going to go a long way. We start that right now. We’re getting a few steps ahead until the season starts.”

Nuggets Notes: Westbrook, Watson, Braun, Murray, Gordon

September 14th, 2024 at 5:25pm CST by Arthur Hill

Russell Westbrook was already a hero to many of the young Nuggets players before he joined the team in free agency this summer, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. While they were learning to play the game, Westbrook was a star in Oklahoma City, displaying an intensity and competitiveness that was easy to admire.

“He was just a huge inspiration for me from the passion he plays with,” Peyton Watson said, “being himself unapologetically, and just being somebody who I feel like always leaves it out there on the floor. … As far back as I can remember watching basketball, really, I’ve been watching the energy and the passion that he played with, knowing that he came from damn near down the street from where I’m from (in Long Beach, California).”

Christian Braun also cites Westbrook as an important influence on his basketball development. Westbrook has already shown himself to be a good teammate to Braun on one important issue, according to Durando, agreeing to take No. 4 as his uniform number instead of asking for Braun’s No. 0 and imploring fans to “leave our young star alone.”

“Downhill. Athletic. Tough. Mean. In-your-face,” Braun says of Westbrook’s playing style. “… Those are the type of guys I loved, and I learned from.”

There’s more from Denver:

Kevin Pelton of ESPN declined to give a grade to Jamal Murray‘s new four-year max extension, but he speculates that the Nuggets must have encouraging information about Murray’s health to agree to the deal. The contract is projected to be worth nearly $208MM and will run through the 2028/29 season. Pelton notes that it eliminates worries about Murray leaving in free agency next summer and states that it will be a wise investment if he continues to produce at the level he did last season.
After finalizing the deal with Murray, the next step should be a long-term contract for Aaron Gordon, contends Sean Keeler of The Denver Post. Keeler sees Gordon as a perfect complement to Murray and Nikola Jokic, providing much-needed athleticism and a strong defensive presence as well as a high basketball IQ. Gordon has a $22.8MM player option for the 2025/26 season, and Keeler advises the Nuggets to work out an extension before he has the chance to test free agency.
Denver’s media day could be among the most interesting in the league, Marc Stein states in his latest Substack article (subscriber only). In addition to Murray’s extension, topics should include how much help Westbrook can provide at this point in his career and coach Michael Malone‘s rumored dissatisfaction with the front office after losing Bruce Brown and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in free agency in consecutive summers.

Western Notes: Nuggets, Markkanen, Mavs, Thunder

August 5th, 2024 at 10:46pm CST by Dana Gauruder

It has been an eventful offseason for the Nuggets and The Athletic’s Tony Jones breaks down all the meaningful developments. They lost Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in free agency but the front office is convinced Christian Braun can handle a larger role. The Nuggets are also encouraged by Julian Strawther‘s Summer League performances and think he’ll add much-needed shooting to the rotation.

The Nuggets believe Russell Westbrook will fortify their offense and they’ll also need free agent addition Dario Saric to produce in a backup frontcourt role, especially with first-rounder DaRon Holmes having suffered a torn Achilles during Summer League action. If Saric doesn’t deliver, the Nuggets could be forced to use Aaron Gordon as the de facto backup center, Jones writes.

We have more from the Western Conference:

If the Jazz plan on trading Lauri Markkanen, they’re certainly doing a good job hiding their intentions. Marc Stein reports in his latest Substack post that the Jazz recently sent multiple coaching staff representatives to Finland to assist Markkanen in workouts with second-year guard Keyonte George. That gives the impression they’re not looking to deal their starting power forward, regardless of whether he signs an extension.
The Mavericks had a solid offseason with the addition of Klay Thompson in a sign-and-trade with Golden State. They also signed free agents Naji Marshall and Spencer Dinwiddie and acquired Quentin Grimes in a trade. Eddie Sefko of Mavs.com takes a closer look at what each player could bring to the defending Western Conference champions.
The Thunder‘s front office is wise to keep a roster spot open on the 15-man roster, Rylan Stiles of Sports Illustrated opines. Any free agent they could bring in now probably wouldn’t play much and keeping that spot open could facilitate a trade involving multiple players, Stiles notes. It could also make it easier to add a player in the buyout market during the season to fill a need.

Northwest Notes: Ayton, Clingan, C. Williams, Porter

June 29th, 2024 at 10:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

The morning after Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin took UConn’s Donovan Clingan with the seventh pick in the draft, he felt it was necessary to call starting center Deandre Ayton and explain the move, writes Jason Quick of The Athletic. To his delight, Cronin found that Ayton wasn’t just understanding of the decision, but extremely supportive.

“He was like, ‘OK, where can we take this?’” Cronin said. “(He asked) How can he help me? How can I help him? What can we do together?’ His attitude was great about the whole situation.”

Quick notes that Ayton’s attitude was often a problem early in his career and even at times last season, but it has improved to the point where he’s now considered a “building block” of the franchise. Coach Chauncey Billups, who’s getting ready to fly to Spain to watch Ayton’s Bahamas team in an Olympic qualifying tournament, is excited about experimenting with Ayton and Clingan in a twin towers lineup.

“I’m willing to try things,” Billups said. “Several teams are playing big — Cleveland, Denver, Memphis … I’m going to try having (Clingan) and D.A. out there together. But it depends who is on the floor. Is it Jaren Jackson? Is it Aaron Gordon? Is it Evan Mobley?”

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

Clingan emphasized his desire to win during an introductory press conference Saturday in Portland, Quick adds. He credited his late mother with teaching him the importance of defense. “You have to play great defense to win games, and I want to win games,” Clingan said. “I’ll take a block off the backboard over a dunk any day of the week.”
The Jazz don’t expect first-round pick Cody Williams to make an immediate impact like his older brother Jalen Williams did in Oklahoma City, but they recognize there are benefits to having a sibling who’s already in the NBA, per Sarah Todd of The Deseret News. “I think it is a great example for him,” general manager Justin Zanik said. “They’re going to be different. They’re not the exact same player at all. But just being able to be around that can continue to inspire and grow Cody’s passion for the game.”
The Nuggets need a roster shakeup this summer and their best option is to trade Michael Porter Jr., contends Troy Renck of The Denver Post. With Jamal Murray about to receive a max extension and Gordon possibly becoming a free agent next summer, dealing Porter would relieve some of the financial strain on an expensive roster. Renck hears that Denver has explored several trade options involving Porter and had interest in Alex Caruso before he was traded to the Thunder.

Nuggets Notes: Jokic, Gordon, Watson, Holiday

May 15th, 2024 at 3:58pm CST by Luke Adams

Nikola Jokic was awarded the Michael Jordan trophy as this season’s Most Valuable Player prior to the tip-off of Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals on Tuesday. Then the Nuggets star went and showed why he won the award for a third time, dismantling the Timberwolves and Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert with 40 points and 13 assists in a victory that gave Denver a 3-2 edge in the series.

As Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN writes, Jokic made 15-of-22 shots from the floor, including 8-of-9 when Gobert was his primary defender, en route to a performance that teammate Aaron Gordon referred to as “incredible,” “astounding,” and “ridiculous.” Even Jokic’s opponents couldn’t help but be in awe of the way the big man played on Tuesday.

“I just laugh,” Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards said. “That’s all I can do. I can’t be mad, because he’s good, man. I think I said that after Game 1, when we won, and Game 2. He’s the MVP. He’s the best player in the NBA; he showed it the last three games, three games in a row. .. He was special tonight. I got to give him his flowers. I don’t know what we were supposed to do.”

Head coach Michael Malone, who lauded Jokic for his basketball smarts and said he “probably belongs to Mensa,” pointed out that the timing of the superstar center receiving his latest Most Valuable Player trophy was more appropriate than the timing of the initial MVP announcement.

“Nikola was named MVP after that (106-80) Game 2 loss,” Malone said. “And I think the last three games he has shown everybody why he is arguably one of the best players to play this game.”

Here’s more on the Nuggets:

Gordon, who had 18 points and 10 rebounds in the Game 5 win, has been a crucial X-factor for Denver in the series, writes Ryan McFadden of The Denver Post (subscription required). In an in-depth feature published prior to Tuesday’s contest, Rob Mahoney of The Ringer explored how Gordon has “found his basketball destiny” with the Nuggets, adding a component to the roster that helped the team reach its ceiling.
In an entertaining story for The Athletic, Sam Amick details how Gordon has been left out of recent team dinners since he was the only Nuggets player who didn’t make it to last Thursday’s dinner in Minneapolis before the Nuggets won their first game of the series following two straight losses. Denver hasn’t want to risk messing with what’s working by changing its routine since then. Reggie Jackson said that dinner ahead of Game 3 helped the team stop being so tense: “We needed to be around each other. We knew what we had to do, and we knew we had something to accomplish. But it was time between the games to breathe and relax and talk about life. That really helped.”
In the first round of the playoffs, Peyton Watson averaged 12.0 minutes per game off the bench, while veteran Justin Holiday played just 7.1 MPG. In the second round, Holiday has seen his minutes jump to 18.3 per contest while Watson has essentially fallen out of the rotation. Bennett Durando of The Denver Post explores the thinking behind the rotation tweak, explaining that the Nuggets are prioritizing Holiday’s offense over Watson’s defense. “Just trying to find a lineup that can give us the best chance to have success,” Malone said last week. “With the way (the Timberwolves) guard and how effective they are defensively, sometimes you have to put your best offensive lineup out there to give yourself a chance to score and stay in the game.”
Now that the Nuggets have regained the upper hand in their series vs. Minnesota and are just one win away from advancing to the Western Conference Finals, Dan Wolken of USA Today argues that Denver is the clear favorite to win its second consecutive championship.