Nuggets' Aaron Gordon Ruled Out vs. Kings with Shoulder Injury

Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon has been ruled out of Tuesday's game against the Sacramento Kings with a shoulder strain, the team announced (h/t Mike Singer of the Denver Post).

The Arizona product was a late addition to the injury report on Tuesday and was initially listed as questionable against the Kings.

Gordon is in his ninth NBA season after the Orlando Magic selected him fourth overall in the 2014 NBA draft. He is posting 17.5 points on 61.1 percent shooting from the floor and 6.7 rebounds per game.

Orlando dealt Gordon to Denver prior to the trade deadline on March 25, 2021, marking the end of his seven-year Magic tenure.

The move to Denver has been beneficial for Gordon, who posted 15.0 points on 52.0 percent shooting and 5.9 rebounds per game in his second season with Denver. He's been starting at the 4 alongside center Nikola Jokić in the frontcourt.

Thanks in part to Gordon's efforts, the Nuggets finished sixth in the Western Conference despite being without starting point guard Jamal Murray (torn ACL) all season and Michael Porter Jr. (lumbar spine surgery) for all but nine games. They fell to the eventual NBA champion Golden State Warriors in the first round of the playoffs.

The 27-year-old Gordon is in Denver for the long haul after signing a four-year, $92 million extension with the team in 2021.

But for now, the Nuggets should turn toward backup power forward Zeke Nnaji to provide more minutes. Jeff Green would also typically slot in, but he's sidelined with a fractured hand.