Aaron Gordon Trade Rumors: NBA Execs Wonder If Magic Will Move Star to Rebuild
Rival NBA front offices are reportedly keeping tabs on whether Orlando Magic forward Aaron Gordon becomes available before the NBA trade deadline on March 25.
ESPN's Tim Bontemps reported Thursday "multiple executives wondered" if the Magic are going to enter a full-scale rebuild and use Gordon to acquire key assets for the future.
The 25-year-old University of Arizona product is no stranger to trade rumors as one of the most valuable trade targets on a team that hasn't advanced beyond the first round of the playoffs since 2010, but so far, he's spent his entire career in Orlando since being selected fourth overall in 2014.
Gordon was off to a promising start to the 2020-21 season, averaging 13.8 points, 7.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists across 19 games, before he suffered an ankle injury Sunday that will sideline him for four-to-six weeks.
That timetable puts him on track to return between early and mid-March before the trade deadline.
Although he's putting up solid individual numbers, Gordon would probably prefer to land with a contender if the Magic ultimately decide to trade him.
"Winning is the only thing that matters," he told reporters in January. "However you get there, however you get to that point. It's the only thing that matters. It doesn't matter who has what stats. At the end of the game, if we can have another win in the win column, that's the most important thing."
The Magic are 12th in the Eastern Conference with an 8-14 record after losing four straight games.
Gordon, who's under contract through next season as part of a four-year, $80 million deal, may take on a smaller niche in terms of minutes if he does land at a title hopeful, but he could provide ample value as a third or fourth scoring option who can fill multiple roles positionally.
A lot will likely depend on how Orlando as a whole performs between now and the deadline to help the front office determine whether it should be a seller next month.
