Jump. Finish. Swish.<\/p>\n
There is Aaron Gordon after practice, smiling, making baskets. He can\u2019t miss. It is a reminder of how much he will be missed.<\/p>\n
The Nuggets face the Clippers in the first round of the NBA Playoffs<\/a>, and this feels like Gordon\u2019s last stand. That\u2019s all there is to say, if being truthful.<\/p>\n There is no doubt that the Nuggets will undergo significant changes this offseason if they fail to reach the Western Conference Finals. They cannot exit early and run it back. And that leaves Gordon as the most valuable chess piece in a reboot.<\/p>\n It is not his fault. It\u2019s nothing he did. It is because of everything he does and who he is. And his contract. Social media sprouts with daily ideas of how the Nuggets can ship out Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. in a makeover.<\/a><\/p>\n The ideas conveniently leave out two things: health and money. Murray\u2019s $207.8 million max contract kicks in beginning next season with a $46.3 million salary in 2025. Though only 28 years old, he hasn\u2019t played more than 67 games since 2018. This year, because of a forgettable first two months, he shot 39.3% from 3, his lowest mark since 2019.<\/p>\n Playoff Jamal is a thing<\/a>. But is it enough for an acquiring team to mortgage its future for a player who has never made an All-Star Game?<\/p>\n It is well established that Porter has overcome long odds to play in the NBA, given his back issues. But it is also permanently established that he is maddeningly inconsistent<\/a>\u00a0and, when not making 3s, disappears for long stretches. That is not an opinion. It is what is on film. And seeing that, will a suitor, already wondering if he will pass a physical, want the $79.1 million remaining on his max deal?<\/p>\n So it circles back to Gordon. He has $103.6 million coming starting next season, but the third year of his contract is a player option. His deal is as flexible and friendly as the man himself.<\/p>\n This is why Aaron Gordon could become Gone Gordon.<\/p>\n It would be a darn shame, given what he means to this team.<\/p>\n Gordon, if he stays on the court, will be the reason the Nuggets advance to the second round. Assuming Nikola Jokic<\/a> and Murray \u2014 especially Murray \u2014 show up and show out, Gordon is the secret sauce in the Big Mac.<\/p>\n He pulls it all together.<\/p>\n