Nuggets Win Magic Trade After Finals Berth?

The Orlando Magic and Denver Nuggets made a big trade two years ago, and its effects are being felt in today's NBA.

Jeremy Brener | May 23, 2023

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Orlando Magic

ORLANDO - It's been just over two years since the Orlando Magic traded Aaron Gordon in a blockbuster deal to the Denver Nuggets.

The Nuggets are certainly happy with how that trade has worked for them, and their happiness was validated after the team reached its first NBA Finals in franchise history ... with Gordon starting all 15 games in the postseason push.

Even though the Nuggets haven't won the championship yet, is it safe to say they won the Gordon trade?

The deal sent Gordon, along with Gary Clark, to the Nuggets for Gary Harris, R.J. Hampton and a 2025 protected first-round pick.

While the Nuggets haven't won a title yet, Denver is certainly coming out of this deal with a win-win scenario at worst. Gordon has proven to be the ideal partner in the frontcourt next to Nikola Jokic and has taken the Nuggets to new heights.

The Magic shouldn't be complaining about its end of the deal though. Even though Hampton never realized his full potential with the Magic, Harris has proven to be a strong veteran presence and was a key starter last season. Orlando also has a future first-round pick it can use to draft another talented player or trade in another deal to get better sooner.

Also, trading Gordon opened up a spot at power forward, which Paolo Banchero now occupies. Banchero has a higher ceiling than Gordon, and puts the Magic in a better position at this point in time.

A trade should be considered a win if a team gets better and finds itself in a better position as a result of the trade ... and the Nuggets and Magic can both say that.

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Published May 23, 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.