Nuggets PF Aaron Gordon Proving Why Magic Drafted Him No. 4

The Orlando Magic selected Aaron Gordon with the No. 4 pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. Now, he's helping the Denver Nuggets inch closer to their first NBA championship.

Jeremy Brener | Jun 10, 2023

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Orlando Magic

ORLANDO - The Denver Nuggets are one win away from their first championship in franchise history after beating the Miami Heat in Game 4 Friday night.

Nikola Jokic has led the way for the Nuggets all season long, but it was Aaron Gordon who led all scorers with 27 points in the Game 4 victory.

If the Nuggets go on to win the championship, Game 4 will mark a legacy game for Gordon, who is playing the best basketball of his eight-year career.

That career started in 2014 when the Orlando Magic selected him with the No. 4 pick in the draft. Many felt that the Magic was reaching when taking Gordon with its pick. On draft night nine years ago, USA Today projected Gordon to be selected No. 8, but Orlando appeared to make the right decision.

It took Gordon a few years to get his feet wet in the NBA, but once he did, he became one of the Magic's best players and formed a dynamic duo in the frontcourt with Nikola Vucevic. While Orlando's ceiling never exceeded past a first-round exit, the Magic was able to trade Gordon for Gary Harris, R.J. Hampton and a first-round pick.

Given the fact that Hampton was a rookie, the deal was essentially Gordon for two first-round picks ... and now it's clear that the Magic lost that trade.

Gordon is thriving with the Nuggets and coming through when it matters most, a sign that the Magic made the right call on draft night.

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Published Jun 10, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.