With 25-year-old Aaron Gordon officially on the trade block, many fans and analysts have been trying to piece together the clues of where he might end up.
Today, one recent rumor has given us a strong indication of where he might land: with a contender in a big market.
(via Jared Weiss and Sam Amick of The Athletic)
“The 25-year-old wants to be in a winning situation that will help him fulfill his basketball potential and maximize his profile by being in a large market with plenty of branding opportunities,” Weiss and Amick wrote. “He demonstrated promising basketball and marketing value with his early career success, particularly in the legendary slam dunk contest battle with Zach LaVine in 2016. But as Orlando has been stuck on the treadmill of mediocrity in recent years, his Q rating and standing in the league has clearly plateaued.”
There aren’t many teams who actually fit that description, so we can narrow down his preferred trade list to the Lakers, Clippers, and Nets.
While Gordon has some limitations, he’s a solid two-way player who brings a lot to the table on both sides of the floor. This season, he’s averaging 14.7 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 4.2 assists on 44.2% shooting as the face of the Magic.
As a budding young star with loads of untapped potential, it will be interesting to see which teams get to enjoy his services next, and how he’ll perform in a bigger market with increased expectations.
