Pros and cons of Cavs trading Nuggets for Aaron Gordon

Cons of Cavs trading Nuggets for Aaron Gordon

There are two major cons, or drawbacks, to trading for the Nuggets’ swingman. The first is that of cost; what will the Nuggets look to receive back in return for a player they just paid a hefty price to acquire a year-and-a-half ago. The deal would probably need to approximate the price sent out, with two key pieces of value.

That could be this year’s No. 14 pick and a player such as Caris LeVert or Lauri Markkanen. The Nuggets have struggled to find another wing player after shipping out Gary Harris; could LeVert be the answer? Or would they like the versatility to playing Lauri Markkanen and Michael Porter Jr. at the forward spots as knockdown shooters? If the Nuggets aren’t excited by either of those players then the Cavs would have to add something else of value to get a deal over the finish line; how much is Gordon worth?

The other question is one of offensive fit. Gordon is a career 32.3 percent shooter from deep, and hit just 33.5 percent playing off of Jokic last season in Denver. It got even worse in the playoffs, as Gordon hit just 20 percent in the five-game first-round loss to the Golden State Warriors. His outside shot is certainly not a reliable weapon.

While a frontcourt line of Aaron Gordon, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen would be nearly impenetrable, would their lack of spacing doom the Cavaliers’ offense? Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff started Markkanen to get spacing on the court; can they survive not having his shooting, especially if the options at the 2 aren’t exactly snipers?