Jan 1, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon (50) dribbles the ball up court ahead of forward Michael Porter Jr. (1) in the third quarter against the Charlotte Hornets at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Aaron Gordon Sends Message to Michael Porter Jr After Nuggets-Nets Trade

Originally posted on Denver Nuggets on SI
By Liam Willerup | Last updated Jul 2, 2025 1:49 PM ET

The NBA offseason has been active so far, and while it's still far from over with plenty of signings and potential trades to come, there have been some early winners declared by the media and fans online. One of those is the Denver Nuggets, as after falling to the Oklahoma City Thunder in seven games, they've retooled their roster for next season to make another run.

While that retool included signing Bruce Brown and Tim Hardaway Jr., as well as trading for Jonas Valančiūnas, it also involved trading away a core member of the 2023 NBA Finals team in Michael Porter Jr. Even though fans rejoiced at the move to land Cam Johnson from the Brooklyn Nets, Porter Jr.'s teammate, Aaron Gordon, took to social media to send a message on his departure.

@aarongordon via Instagram

Taking to his Instagram story, Gordon shared a photo of himself and Porter Jr. during a press conference at the 2023 NBA Finals, replying with a simple "" emoji. Porter Jr. and Gordon played 203 regular-season games together, with a record of 137-66 in those games. Porter Jr. was drafted by the Nuggets in 2018, while Gordon was acquired via trade in 2021.

The main problem with Porter Jr. for Denver was not only his production in the postseason this year, but his massive five-year, $179 million contract that he still has two years remaining on. Therefore, the Nuggets had to attach a first-round pick to him to send him to Brooklyn, while also getting back a cheaper contract in Johnson.

Breaking: The Denver Nuggets are trading Michael Porter Jr. and an unprotected 2032 first-round pick to the Brooklyn Nets for Cam Johnson, sources tell @ShamsCharania.

Get breaking news alerts from Shams through the ESPN app: https://t.co/QEjDpr2WVy pic.twitter.com/WKxlyE9cL2
— ESPN (@espn) June 30, 2025

While the Nuggets say goodbye to the Porter Jr. era, it's clear this team made some major upgrades and should be a strong threat to win the NBA Finals next season.

This article first appeared on Denver Nuggets on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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