Fighting for the contract, Aaron Gordon s seventh game against the Clippers will affect his future in the Nuggets

The Nuggets will play their seventh game against the Clippers on Saturday, and they face more than just the fate of this season. To some extent, the entire basketball era is undecided for the team that won the 2023 championship.

lineup changes and new CBA rules have dealt a heavy blow to the team, and the team's core players' lineup strength has dropped sharply. They are now facing the threat of being eliminated in their seventh home game for two consecutive years.

Last year, this happened in the second round; the Nuggets led 3-2 in that series, but the Timberwolves won Game 6 and then visited Denver to smooth out the 20-point lead in the second half, knocking the Nuggets out and ending their path to defending the title.

This season has just begun, and if the Nuggets lose, they seem to face major changes. Obviously, we've seen some changes, with head coach Michael Malone and general manager Calvin Booth being fired a few days before the end of the regular season. This should have attracted everyone’s attention, and it’s obvious that losing the first round is not enough when you have the best player in the world.

Trading Aaron Gordon may be the best choice to stay competitive

Frankly, even if the Nuggets win on Saturday, they have proven a serious lack of roster depth and talent. But if they do lose, there are some bold moves that must be taken. Denver will have to cut spending, but at the same time bring in multiple players.

It is obvious that Denver must give out a high-paid, high-value player in order to bring in several excellent role players who can fit well into the team. We can immediately say that Nikola Jokic is unshakable. No matter what happens on Saturday, he won't leave.

In addition, the other three players with annual salary of more than $9 million are Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter, who are all key starters of the team. Murray feels safest; despite his constant injury risks, he has proved his cap in the playoffs, and his offensive duo with Jokic is an important reason why the Nuggets are so special.

So there are only two options left for MPJ ​​and Gordon. The obvious choice is to trade out Porter Little, but this is easier said than done. He performed poorly this season, and this round of playoffs has made it even worse. His salary is expected to exceed $35 million and is already his sixth season in the league, and the market may not be too high given his injury history.

There are gains and losses, and I am not sure what I can get from giving up Porter. This comes back to Gordon's question. Although the idea of ​​trading Mr. Nuggets is painful, it may be just a necessary evil.

Hope this is not the case, because no one wants to think about it. But if the Nuggets lose on Saturday, they will have to make major adjustments to adjust the lineup, meaning this could be Gordon's last game in the Nuggets' jersey.