Aaron Gordon has long been rumored to be on the block, although he remains with the Orlando Magic. One team that was reportedly interested in him was the Indiana Pacers. However, nothing went down by the NBA trade deadline, but there is a high chance it could continue this summer.
Gordon made headlines February but for a different reason. It was more about the controversial NBA Slam Dunk contest, something most feel he should have won. The 24-year-old forward has moved on from that forgettable episode and announced that he has retired from the competition. From the looks of it, the 6-foot-8 will be focusing on rounding up his game rather than making highlight reels.
However, the Pacers may not be the only one who could court Gordon this summer. The Brooklyn Nets were another team pursuing him and there is a chance they would revisit talks also, SNY reported. The Nets could use someone like Gordon, up front, probably more plausible over the Pacers.
On the part of the Pacers, there are concerns about how he would fit in Indiana's frontline. They already have Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis, a pair that initially did not work smoothly. Head coach Nate McMillan found a way to make it work, and that is reaping dividends for them. They were able to compile a 34-24 win-loss record, good for the 6th spot as of this writing.
Ironically, the two teams interested in the 4th overall pick of the 2014 NBA Draft are behind them. Unless the two teams find a way to get a winning streak going, the Pacers should be safe at their 6th spot. But then again, Gordon could get added motivation to perform well.
This season, he has played in 52 games averaging 14.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 3.3 assists. Gordon is just in the second year of his four-year $80 million deal, a contract critics teams should also factor in, the Orlando Sentinel reported. It is a team-friendly pact with Gordon owed about $34.5 million in the next two years.
Gordon could spark interest with a fine showing moving forward. Better yet, if he can help the Magic at least overtake the Nets, it could boost his stick. However, getting past the first round for both the Nets and the Magic don't look good. They will likely face either the Milwaukee Bucks or the Toronto Raptors, two powerhouse teams that will be hard to bring down.
