Aaron Gordon reportedly is eager for a trade to the Celtics but he might not get his wish.
The Nuggets have surpassed Boston as the favorites to swing a trade for the Orlando Magic forward, Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer reported Wednesday night, citing sources. Denver’s package centers around Gary Harris, a first-round pick and one of the Nuggets’ young players.
Early in the week, the Celtics were reported as the “frontrunners” for Gordon.
Here’s an excerpt from Fischer’s column:
As of this writing, the Boston Celtics remain very engaged in Aaron Gordon talks. However, the Denver Nuggets have emerged as the leading candidate to acquire the 25-year-old forward, according to league sources.
Gordon indeed submitted a trade request in February, sources said, and the Minnesota Timberwolves, Houston Rockets and Portland Trail Blazers all remain interested.
Boston’s proposed deal has involved Marcus Smart and a first-round pick, sources said, and could even grow to include a second first-round selection plus Boston’s trade exception. It would also then send Evan Fournier to the Celtics.
Make of that what you will. Fischer obviously isn’t Adrian Wojnarowski or Shams Charania, and thus his report should be taken with a grain of salt.
It’s worth noting Denver on Thursday reportedly acquired center JaVale McGee from the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Isaiah Hartenstein and two future protected second-round picks. It’s unclear whether trading for McGee will impact Denver’s reported pursuit of a Gordon trade.
As for the Celtics, they reportedly remained engaged with the Magic as of Wednesday night, with the teams planning to continue their talks into Thursday ahead of the 3 p.m. ET NBA trade deadline.
Gordon, 25, is averaging 14.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game for the Magic. The Arizona product never has been named to an Eastern Conference All-Star team.
