ORLANDO, Fla. — The Orlando Magic have traded forward Aaron Gordon to the Denver Nuggets, league sources confirmed to the Orlando Sentinel.
The return package will include shooting guard Gary Harris, point guard R.J. Hampton and a first-round pick, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The pick will be Denver’s 2025 protected pick.
Orlando also will be sending forward Gary Clark to Denver.
Gordon’s trade continued a major Magic overhaul Thursday that began with a surprise deal sending fan-favorite and All-Star Nikola Vucevic to the Chicago Bulls.
The Nuggets were among a number of teams — including the Warriors, Celtics, Rockets, Timberwolves and Trail Blazers — that reportedly were interested in acquiring Gordon in the days leading to the NBA trade deadline.
The 25-year-old forward in February had asked for a trade following what he called a “series of frustrations.”
“There’s been times where I just expressed my frustration to management and the frustration with the losses, the injuries, the way we’ve been playing, how we’ve been playing and how many losses have accumulated over the years,” Gordon said. “So it’s just my frustration kind of boiling over, I would say. I think a lot of people share that sentiment with me, a lot of frustration.”
Despite reports of an imminent trade, Gordon played in both of the Magic’s games this week. He scored 13 points and had six assists in Tuesday’s 110-99 loss to the Denver Nuggets. He also had 13 points and seven rebounds Wednesday night when the Magic beat the Phoenix Suns, 112-111.
Gordon, who was the Magic’s first pick of the 2014 draft and the fourth overall selection, is valued for his defensive versatility and rebounding. He averaged 14.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and a career-best 4.2 assists while shooting 37.5% from the 3-point line in 25 games this season. He missed 15 games from Feb. 2 through March 3 with a sprained left ankle before returning March 12 against the Heat. Gordon played almost 14 minutes, then missed the next two games because of soreness in the ankle. He was back in the lineup last Thursday against the Knicks, then scored a season-high 38 points — going 7-for-8 from the 3-point line — the following night in a 121-113 win over the Nets.
Harris has been hampered by injuries this season, appearing in just 19 games, and has been out since mid-February with a thigh strain. But Harris reportedly was a positive presence in the Nuggets’ locker room.
Harris, 26, is averaging 9.7 points while shooting 45.2% overall and 32.0% from the 3-point line — numbers that are down from his career marks. Harris, however, is also known as a solid defender.
