The Denver Nuggets appear to have found a frontcourt partner for Nikola Jokic after obtaining Aaron Gordon from the Orlando Magic
Thursday 25 March 2021 18:01, UK
Wantaway Orlando Magic star Aaron Gordon has been granted his wish at the trade deadline, moving to the contending Denver Nuggets in exchange for Gary Harris, RJ Hampton and a future first-round pick.
The deal was first announced by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN and should complete a busy day of moves for the Magic, who gained five draft picks after shopping their roster's core of Gordon, Nikola Vucevic and Evan Fournier.
That's three-fifths of the starting line-up, combining to average 58.8 points for the season - more than half of the Magic's average of 104.5 points per game.
It is believed Gordon requested a trade from the franchise he was drafted to fourth overall in 2014 as far back as February, but it took until a few hours before the deadline for Orlando to find the right offer.
Gordon is averaging 15 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists per game, as well as shooting a career-high 37.5 per cent from three. He can play both forward positions, but is more effective at the power forward spot where he can use his superior ball-handling and quickness for easy points against bigger opponents.
The move certainly fills a need for the Nuggets, who have been missing someone of Gordon's profile since Jerami Grant left the franchise for the Detroit Pistons during the offseason.
Denver boosted their frontcourt depth further with a trade for center Javale McGee, sending Isaiah Hartenstein and two future second-round picks to Cleveland, ESPN also reported.
As Heatcheck analyst Mo Mooncey explains, Denver was the perfect location for Gordon to end up (not least because fans now get to see him catch lobs from Nikola Jokic).
The Nuggets did have to give up Gary Harris, a seven-year veteran with the team after being taken 15 spots later than Gordon in the same 2014 draft.
Harris is averaging career-lows in points (10 per game), assists (1.7 per game) and rebounds (2.5 per game) since his rookie season and appeared in only a single game for Denver since January.
However, he was well-regarded within the franchise and averaged 17.5 points per contest while shooting 40 per cent from three in 2017-18. The Magic will certainly be hoping the shooting guard can recapture that kind of form in a new environment as the franchise looks to reset around their young players with high potential, such as Markelle Fultz and Jonathan Isaac.
Orlando are also securing R.J. Hampton - a rookie point guard who went 24th in this year's draft - and a first-round pick in the deal.
