Former Arizona Wildcats Star Suffers Multi-Week Injury With Denver Nuggets
The 2024 NBA offseason was a big one for former Arizona Wildcats standout forward Aaron Gordon.
He was rewarded for his performance on the field with a massive contract extension. The two sides agreed to a four-year, $133 million deal, ensuring he remains with the Denver Nuggets for years to come.
After one season in Tuscon, he took his talents to the next level and was selected No. 4 overall by the Orlando Magic in the 2014 NBA Draft. He spent 6.5 seasons there before being traded to the Nuggets.
Gordon has been an incredibly impactful player, helping them defeat the Miami Heat to win the championship. He is someone general manager Calvin Booth spoke very highly of after the extension was complete.
“In many ways, Aaron is the heart and soul of the team,” Booth said to The Athletic shortly after Gordon’s extension. “He does a lot of things on the floor that makes us go. The guys rally around him in the locker room.”
Replacing someone of that caliber is never easy, but Denver is going to have to find a way to do it.
That is because Gordon is going to be sidelined for multiple weeks after suffering a calf injury. The update was provided by The Athletic and their NBA staff.
The injury occurred on Monday night when the Nuggets were playing against the Toronto Raptors. He made it through only four minutes before having to exit the game, which his team barely held on to win 121-119.
This is a major blow to a squad that was already struggling to find consistent production on the court from players on the second unit. Now, someone off the bench is going to have to step up and fill the sizable void.
Gordon was one of the only players stepping up regularly alongside three-time MVP, Nikola Jokic. Through seven games, the Arizona product was averaging 15.4 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists as he was doing a little bit of everything on the court.
He is also one of Michael Malone’s most trusted and versatile defenders, matching up with talented scorers on the wing or in the frontcourt.
For as long as he is sidelined, Malone is going to rely on Zeke Nnaji and Hunter Tyson to soak up minutes in the frontcourt. Veteran DeAndre Jordan could also receive spot minutes.
