Magic trade Gordon to Nuggets for Harris, Hampton, 2025 1st

The Orlando Magic traded forward Aaron Gordon to the Denver, the Nuggets announced.

Orlando receives guards Gary Harris and RJ Hampton and a protected 2025 first-round pick in return for the high-flying 25-year-old and swingman Gary Clark.

Gordon had requested a trade from the Magic, who posted one winning record during his seven-season tenure. He's averaging 14.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, and a career-high 4.2 assists across 25 appearances this year and has evolved into a 37.5% shooter from distance after coming into the Association without much of a jumper.

The No. 4 pick in 2014 joins a Denver team that has won nine of its last 12 games and holds the West's fifth seed. He'll give the Nuggets another scorer in the frontcourt, joining Nikola Jokic, Michael Porter Jr., and Paul Millsap.

Clark is averaging 3.4 points per game in his third NBA campaign and started 11 of his 32 appearances this season. The 26-year-old has been known more for his defense since breaking into the league undrafted with the Houston Rockets in 2018-19.

Harris heads to the Magic averaging 9.7 points this season. The Michigan State product has seen his scoring gradually decline since he averaged 17.5 points in 2017-18, but he's still only 26.

Hampton, a first-round rookie, posted 2.6 points per outing in limited action off the Nuggets' bench. He figures to see more playing time with the Magic, who appear to have launched another rebuild by dealing away Gordon and All-Star center Nikola Vucevic at the trade deadline.

The Nuggets reached the conference finals last season before falling to the Los Angeles Lakers. Michael Malone's squad got off to a shaky start in 2020-21 but recently started to right the ship.