Did Aaron Gordon Actually Deserve a Roster Spot on Team USA?

An Elite Defender 🛡️

They needed more than a slam dunk machine.

As if coach Steve Kerr needed any more second-guessing about his distribution of minutes for Team USA in the 2024 Paris Olympics, Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon made some NBA news by saying he had an offer to play on the team too this year.

Still a Nugget at heart, Gordon hilariously couldn’t hold back his excitement of how teammate Nikola Jokic nearly “washed these cats” in the game against Serbia. But Gordon remembered which country he was supposed to represent by tossing in a ‘Merica’ reference at the end here.

Aaron Gordon says he was expecting a call from Team USA:

“I was asked about playing for Team USA then the call never came. Then watching Jokic almost wash those cats… that was dope. But all that being said, Merica.”

(h/t @ohnohedidnt24) pic.twitter.com/ud45IsOAiD

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) September 26, 2024

Funny stuff for some lighthearted NBA news a month before the new season starts. But would Gordon have been a good choice for the 2024 Team USA basketball roster?

Highly Underrated

Since joining the Nuggets in the 2020-21 season, Aaron Gordon’s stats have stepped up from his days in Orlando. He shoots .542 from the field in Denver compared to .447 in Orlando, and playing with the master, who is 3-time MVP Nikola Jokic, has a lot to do with that.

However, Gordon is also a gifted defender and solid rebounder in the forward position. He certainly stepped up and earned his ring with the Nuggets in 2023 as the third-best player on that team behind Jokic and Jamal Murray.

After we beat the warriors in the bay Steve Kerr asked if I wanted to play on the USA team… idk bro. It’s a bit rhetorical but hey we got gold

— Aaron Gordon (@Double0AG) September 26, 2024

However, it’s hard to say Gordon would have been of much value in Paris for Team USA this year. Remember, the big stink was the lack of minutes for forward Jayson Tatum, the reigning champion from Boston who didn’t see much action in some key games against Serbia, including that monster comeback in the semifinals when Steph Curry exploded for 36 points and LeBron James had a triple-double.

In making that 17-point comeback against Serbia, the USA team largely relied on its veterans like LeBron, Curry, Durant, and Devin Booker and Joel Embiid also provided some really good minutes. If they aren’t trusting Tatum to join that group, are they really taking anyone off the court for Gordon minutes? I don’t think so. They needed more than a slam dunk machine.

AARON GORDON. SHUT IT DOWN. 😱 #SCtop10

(via @NBA) https://t.co/lDyN4g1a9B

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 16, 2020

How Long Is Aaron Gordon Under Contract?

As for Gordon in NBA games this season, the expectations are he’ll still be the No. 3 or No. 4 key player on the Nuggets as they try to win another championship behind the duo of Jokic and Murray.

Having just turned 29, Aaron Gordon’s net worth is respectable for a former No. 4 overall pick in the 2014 draft. He has made over $135 million in NBA salary, and he’ll have a cap hit of $22.8 million this season according to Spotrac.

Gordon also has a player option for $22.8 million next season in Denver, and he won’t be an unrestricted free agent until the 2026-27 season.

Aaron Gordon on a potential contract extension:

“I really love this organization… I hope we get it done. It seems like it’s moving forward in the right direction.” pic.twitter.com/GGUb3dVUvB

— DNVR Sports (@DNVR_Sports) September 26, 2024

In all likelihood, Gordn could be tapped to play for Team USA in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. There are some openings on the roster once LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Steph Curry are all retired.

But with nothing guaranteed in the future, I guess you could say Gordon was just a little mad he didn’t get his shot at Olympic gold this year, especially if Kerr really did have an offer for him.