There’s a good chance that an Aaron Gordon trade will happen some time between now and the March 25 deadline. The struggling Orlando Magic are looking to go into full-scale fire sale mode as the team attempts to initiate a rebuild.
That could include moving Gordon, Evan Fournier and star center Nikola Vucevic here in the next week. As it relates to Gordon specifically, the athletic forward has long been on the trade block.
That was muted some when the 25-year-old former top-five pick suffered an ankle sprain back in early February. Now that he’s back in the mix, rumors about a potential deal continue to pop up.
Still relatively young in the grand scheme of things, Gordon has seen a downtick in production since Steve Clifford took over as the Magic head coach ahead of the 2018-19 season. Prior to that, he was on an upward trajectory.
The forward averaged 17.6 points and 7.9 rebounds for Orlando back in 2017-18. Some team will take a chance on him here soon. Here’s a look at four possible trade scenarios.
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Aaron Gordon trade to the Minnesota Timberwolves
- Timberwolves get: Aaron Gordon
- Magic get: Ricky Rubio, Josh Okogie, future first-round pick
Despite boasting a league-worst 9-31 record, The Timberwolves are reportedly looking to add to their young core ahead of the NBA trade deadline. That includes finding a running partner for Karl-Anthony Towns in the frontcourt with rookie Anthony Edwards showing out recently at guard. Gordon would be an ideal fit. He’d also be a long-term option for a still-rebuilding Wolves squad.
As for Orlando, any move to send Gordon to Minneapolis is complicated by the fact that the Wolves’ have their next three first-round picks tied up in the trade for D’Angelo Russell. It is top-three protected in 2021 and unprotected in 2022, meaning the earliest first-rounder Minnesota could send back would be in 2024. If the Timberwolves make that lightly protected, this is a deal that could work out.
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Aaron Gordon trade to the Golden State Warriors
- Warriors get: Aaron Gordon, Michael Carter-Williams
- Magic get: Kelly Oubre, Jordan Poole, two future second-round picks
The Warriors have long been linked to Northern California native Aaron Gordon in trade talks. Whether the timing and other factors work out here remains to be seen. Primarily, does Golden State view a multi-year relationship more than potentially losing Kelly Oubre in free agency this coming summer? That’s the biggest backdrop to a potential blockbuster.
Gordon himself would fit in well with what the Warriors are looking to do behind Stephen Curry. He can play all three frontcourt positions and provide a scoring punch. That’s been missing with Klay Thompson out for a second consecutive season. Meanwhile, Golden State adds the veteran backup point guard it has been missing in Carter-Williams. He’d be a nice get.
From Orlando’s perspective, adding a still-young 25-year-old Oubre out on the wing could very well help expedite the team’s rebuild. It might also be able to flip him for younger assets and/or draft picks. As for Poole, he just recently led the NBA G-League in scoring and is on an upward trajectory after the Warriors made the former Michigan star a first-round pick. In fact, Poole is averaging 19.0 points on 46% shooting from distance since being recalled. Add in multiple second-round selections, and this could get a deal done.
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Aaron Gordon trade to the Dallas Mavericks
- Mavericks get: Aaron Gordon, Evan Fournier
- Magic get: Josh Green, Dwight Powell, James Johnson, Willie Cauley-Stein, first-round pick, two second-round picks
This would be a blockbuster to end all blockbusters. But we already know that Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is always looking to make a splash. Acquiring both Gordon and Fournier ahead of the NBA trade deadline would do just that. Consistency issues have plagued the Mavs behind MVP candidate Luka Doncic this season. In short, they need more from the supporting cast.
An impending free agent, Fournier would provide that out on the wing. He’s averaging 18.5 points while shooting 37% from distance and would slide in well at the two-guard spot. Adding Gordon to the mix would enable Kristaps Porzingis to move to the five while providing more interior defense.
As for Orlando, it would be all about adding a young asset and multiple draft picks to the mix. Green is a solid youngster with a ton of upside out on the wing. Meanwhile, Powell could potentially be flipped for more assets ahead of the trade deadline. It almost makes too much sense.
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Aaron Gordon trade to the Boston Celtics
- Celtics get: Aaron Gordon
- Magic get: Aaron Nesmith, Tristan Thompson, Jeff Teague, first-round pick
We already know Celtics general manager Danny Ainge wants to be active ahead of the NBA trade deadline next week. We also know that forward is a need. Primarily, Ainge is looking for someone who can play both spots. Gordon more than qualifies in that regard. He’d be an ideal fit with stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
In return, Orlando adds a high-upside rookie first-round pick in Nesmith. He’s shown flashes of brilliance from beyond the arc. That would be a perfect fit for a Magic team that lacks perimeter shooting from guards Markell Fultz and Cole Anthony. The team also picks up a first-round pick in the future. A win-win, one might say.
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