NBA Rumors: Is Aaron Gordon The Missing Piece Of Mavericks’ Championship Core?
When he was selected as the No. 4 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, most people viewed Aaron Gordon as one of the players that could lead the Orlando Magic back to title contention. However, with the emergence of Jonathan Isaac, he suddenly became the odd man out in Orlando. When the 2019-20 season is over, rumors are circulating that the Magic will be trading him for future draft assets or players that could help them become a more competitive team next year.
One of the teams who could express interest in acquiring Gordon this fall is the Dallas Mavericks. In his recent article, Tyler Watts of Fansided’s The Smoking Cuban discussed whether the Mavericks should trade for the young forward in the offseason or not.
The Mavericks may have managed to surpass expectations this season, but as of now, they are still not considered on the same level as Western Conference powerhouse teams like the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers.
In order to have a realistic chance of dominating the Western Conference and winning the championship, the Mavericks obviously need to surround Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis with more star power. Gordon may not be a legitimate superstar, but he fits the description of the player that the Mavericks are looking to add to their roster.
Citing a report by Brian Windhorst of ESPN, Watts revealed that the Mavericks want to acquire a player with size who can average 15 points per game.
Gordon would not only give Dallas a prolific scorer, but he could also ease the load on Luka’s shoulders in terms of playmaking. Also, Watts believes that the potential acquisition of Gordon would help them improve their performance on the defensive end of the floor.
“The 6’8 forward is a plus defender too. The Mavericks have the best offense in the NBA this season but sit just 17th in defensive rating. Gordon gives them a switchable option that ranked 30th in ESPN’s defensive real plus-minus. For those doubting Gordon’s defense look no further than what he did against Luka Doncic. According to NBA Stats, he matched up on the Mavericks superstar for just over 15.5 minutes during the two meetings. Doncic was five of 16 from the field and missed all seven of his threes with Gordon defending.”
If he continues to improve on both ends of the floor and can to turn himself into an All-Star, Gordon may be the missing piece of the Mavericks’ championship core. However, Dallas could deeply regret trading for him if he doesn’t live up to expectations.
Aside from the trade assets that they would be giving up to the Magic, his arrival in Dallas would also affect the team’s salary cap flexibility in the summer of 2021 when the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, and LeBron James are set to become free agents.
