NBA Trade Grades: Aaron Gordon lands with the Denver Nuggets

NBA trade grades for the Denver Nuggets

The Nuggets have just become even more fearsome, and they didn’t even have to get rid of anybody of note to do it. While the Magic can talk themselves into what could be with both Harris and Hampton, neither was clearly a part of the immediate future in Denver. They have actually been victims of their own success in how well they have drafted.

There is always a fear that a young player may come back to haunt a team when they trade him for no reason other than because they had to, and Hampton could yet be that for the Nuggets. Certainly, the Magic are hoping that will be the case. But with the dust settling on the transaction, the Nuggets won’t be losing any sleep.

They came close last season, and right now the Los Angeles Lakers are down their two best players, while their own All-Star center Nikola Jokic is right in the thick of the MVP conversation. The start of the season was rocky for the Nuggets, but they were one of the last remaining franchises in the bubble in Florida.

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They have righted the ship now and look like they will give anybody a good seven-game series. Where Gordon helps is that he can cover up the defensive deficiencies of Murray. They will be hoping “Bubble Murray” returns, and if he does the Nuggets would be better off letting him worry about scoring, while Gordon picks up the defensive duties.

It is not talked about often, but Gordon actually does a decent job of guarding somebody like James as well. He has routinely guarded the opponent’s best player when with the Magic for a couple of years now, and that experience will stand to him in Denver. The Magic wanted and needed Gordon to be a franchise cornerstone, and he wasn’t. The Nuggets don’t, and it feels like both player and team will benefit from that being the case.

Grade: A-