Denver's first-round exit could push the front office to make a tough call on its beloved forward.
The Denver Nuggets went 54-28 this season, grabbed the third seed in the Western Conference, and ripped off a 12-game winning streak to close the regular season.
Then the Minnesota Timberwolves beat them in six games in the first round while missing Anthony Edwards, Donte DiVincenzo, and Ayo Dosunmu for stretches of the series.
A loss like that changes how a front office looks at everything, and according to The Denver Post, Aaron Gordon's future in Denver is now part of the conversation.
"At the very least, he will no longer be considered off the table as a trade candidate when team brass meets to discuss next steps, league sources have told The Post," Bennett Durando reported.
Why a Trade Makes Sense
Gordon played in just 36 games this season.
When he was on the floor, the numbers looked fine, averaging 16.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 2.7 assists on 49.7 percent shooting, but the fact that he only suited up for half the year is impossible to ignore.
He missed three of Denver's six playoff games with a calf injury, and the Nuggets looked like a different team without him.
His three-year, $103.6 million extension is about to kick in, starting at roughly $32 million next season and climbing to a $37 million player option in 2028-29.
Denver is already projected to be right up against the second luxury tax apron, so moving Gordon's salary could open up enough room to re-sign Peyton Watson and put more pieces around Nikola Jokic, who led the league in rebounds and assists this season at 12.9 and 10.7 per game.
Why They Should Keep Him
Trading Gordon sounds great until the Nuggets have to figure out who actually replaces him.
When healthy, almost nobody in the league does what he does in Denver's system.
His chemistry with Jokic as a cutter and screener is something the Nuggets have built their offense around for years, and he is one of the rare forwards who can defend guards, wings, and centers on switches without missing a beat.
He also shot 38.9 percent from three this season, a career best that makes him even harder to replace.
There is no one player on the trade market who fills all of those roles, and breaking his contract into two or three smaller deals does not promise the same production.
Several teams, including the Lakers, Celtics, and Trail Blazers, have already been linked to Gordon, but the Nuggets are reportedly not interested in dumping him just to clear cap space.
They want a real return with a starter and draft capital included.
Denver has a tough offseason ahead where the money and the roster ambitions do not line up cleanly.
Gordon sits right in the middle of that problem.
He is one of the most valuable players the Nuggets have when healthy, and also one of the hardest to count on staying that way.
What the front office decides to do with him will shape everything else around Jokic next season.