The Orlando Magic are amid a huge firesale. They started deadline day off with a bang, as they finalized a blockbuster deal with the Chicago Bulls, sending NBA All-Star center Nikola Vucevic to The Windy City. Al-Farouq Aminu will be joining Vucevic in Miami, while Wendell Carter Jr., Otto Porter Jr. and two first-round picks were sent to Orlando.
They were not done, as they then traded Evan Fournier to the Boston Celtics for two second-round picks. And now, the Magic are finalizing a deal for Aaron Gordon as well.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Magic will be sending Gordon to the Denver Nuggets.
The Magic will be receiving Gary Harris, RJ Hampton and a first-round pick from the Nuggets in exchange for Gordon. Gary Clark will be heading to Denver along with Gordon, as well.
On the whole, this is a great deal for Denver, who is in win-now mode. Harris’ jump shot has abandoned him and while Hampton has upside, the Nuggets aren’t in a position to develop him.
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In Gordon, the Nuggets are hoping they can replicate some of what they lost when Jerami Grant left in free agency and signed with the Detroit Pistons. Grant wanted a bigger role offensively and the Pistons gave it to him and he has flourished. Gordon should fit in well whether it is off the bench or eventually as the starting power forward.
The former Arizona product is having the best 3-point shooting season of his career, knocking down 37.5 percent of his attempts this season. If Denver does similarly deploy Gordon as Grant, they could unlock some high upside lineup combinations with Gordon’s versatility defensively.
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Denver now has a strong quartet in potential MVP Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr. and Gordon. They are a dangerous squad offensively and now have a defensive ace for Mike Malone to use in Gordon.
The Boston Celtics and Minnesota Timberwolves were two of the teams pursuing Gordon as well that will have to look elsewhere for frontcourt help.
