Nuggets secure championship window with Aaron Gordon's extension

Aaron Gordon played a key role in the Denver Nuggets' 2023 NBA championship win. His size, physicality, interior scoring and wing defense have helped him become invaluable to Mike Malone's team.

On Monday, Denver signed Gordon to a $133 million contract extension. The deal is structured so that he opts into his $22.8 million player option for the upcoming season and then has three years at his new rate. The deal keeps him in Denver until at least 2028. He has a player option for the 2028-29 season.

Gordon has been a reliable presence for Denver. Last season, he averaged 13.9 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists while shooting 55.6% from the field. He must improve his three-point shooting, though, converting just 29%.

The decision to extend Gordon's stay with the Nuggets comes shortly after Jamal Murray's contract extension. Denver's star guard signed a four-year $207 million deal with the franchise earlier this summer. Denver now has its top three talents tied down for at least the next three years.

Considering Nikola Jokic's current contract, Denver is on the hook for $518.1 million between 2025 and 2028 for just three players.

Nevertheless, by securing the future of their star players, the Nuggets are free to begin re-tooling the supporting cast on the roster. They lost Bruce Brown in the summer of 2023 and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope this summer. Denver must find a way to replace those kind of key role players if it wants to win another championship.

The Nuggets have considerable recruitment power now. Any potential free agent addition will know the core trio is locked in, making signing with the franchise more enticing, especially for players looking to contend for a championship.

Gordon's contract will keep the Nuggets championship window open for the foreseeable future. How aggressively the team pursues another banner remains to be seen, but now, everything hinges on how well it can round out the supporting cast. It's time to start acting like a big-market team.