There has been a ton of speculation as to what the Nuggets will do this offseason regarding our free agents, and it seems like an interesting time to revisit the topic now that Gallinari has gone down for the foreseeable future.
There are four free agents that the Nuggets have to worry about this offseason:
This is an interesting situation. Obviously he is making too much money, and with a 16 mil player option for next year, one would think that he would pick that up. However, his comments in the Denver Post recently have said that he wants more long-term security, and the only way that he can do that is opt out and resign for more years. With Gallinari's injury, some continuity would be appreciated for next season, and Iggy is a veteran that can help keep the ship steady for the time being. I see his value at around 10-12 mil, kind of like Gallo's contract for 3-4 years. This would allow the Nuggets to continue to upgrade the rest of their team instead of throwing money at one player.
Final Verdict: Resign 4 Years 40 million plus incentives
I love Corey's energy. He is relentless, plays tough defense and is pesky in the passing lanes, and is one of our best corner three threats. He also has expanded his game to midrange which has impressed me greatly. That being said, I'm not sure the money that would be spent is the best value with all of the impact guys currently sitting on the bench. Will Fournier continue to get twenty minutes when Lawson returns? He certainly deserves it with his outstanding play. Will Jordan Hamilton see any time before he bolts somewhere else with all of the traffic in front of him? Jordan has some killer athleticism and scoring ability, and with more playing time will learn the defensive scheme better. I think those two guys exceed the impact that Corey would have at the price we would have to pay. He may get 5-6 million this season for around three years, and we can use that money much more wisely. Did I mention Corey shoots 30% from three as a SG?
Final Verdict: Let him Walk
It sucks to be Mozzy right now. He is riding the pine when he has the ability to be a solid bench guy or spot starter on a variety of teams. This is easy for everyone due to his desire for playtime and that other teams may throw him a bunch of money.
Final Verdict: Let him Walk
Julyan has had it rough this year as well. He had offseason hip surgery and wasn't able to play until January, and when he was finally given minutes, he did well in his time, and promptly injured himself again and we haven't seen him since. This is unfortunate since I believe he is our second best defender when healthy (Iggy), and plays the pace and style we want him to play. I am a firm believer that Julyan can be a backup of the future for Ty. His contrasting style to Ty will help him succeed on this team, and when paired with the sharpshooters in Fours and Jham off the bench he will do well once Anre retires.
Final Verdict: Resign Two Years 4 Million
Ty Lawson 10.78 mil, Andre Miller 5 mil, Julyan Stone 2 mil
Andre Iguodala 12 mil, Evan Fournier 1.42 mil, Jordan Hamilton 1.17 mil
Danilo Galinari 10.15 mil, Wilson Chandler 6.34 mil, Quincy Miller .79 mil
Kenneth Faried 1.37 mil, Anthony Randolph 1.75 mil
Kosta Koufus 3 mil, Javale McGee 10.75 mil
*all stats used from basketball-reference.com
Tallying up the Cap space for next year by using these estimations for contracts, our number for 13 players (everyone except Brewer and Moz) would be $64.5 Million. I have no idea what the estimated luxury tax line is, but I believe it was around 70 million last year, and should increase a little. With that in mind, and the Mid Level Exception available? Looking at this depth chart, it's clear that the Nuggets should look for another big man or two this offseason as they are set at Point Guard and the Wings. Lets take a look at a couple of players that could fill in in Denver for the right price:
McRoberts, since a nice season with Indiana in 2010-11, hasn't done much of anything. He played with the Lakers last season and plays for Charlotte now I believe. His salary was 3.1 mil last year, but can probably be had at 2-2.5 mil for one to three years. He can run at 6-10 240 and could provide nice insurance as a fifth big man.
Mike Dunleavy Jr.
A shooter off the bench who can stretch the floor at 6-9. When we go small ball at the beginning of the year, Chandler will probably be starting as Gallo is injured. However, after Wilson it's Jham and QMiller, and we all know how much trust Karl has in those guys. If there is an injury, I'd rather see a guy like Dunleavy stand in the corner and shoot threes instead of 35 minutes of Andre Miller.
Hamed Haddadi / Hasheem Thabeet
Not much to say about these guys. They are big seven footers who will take up space and can be insurance centers. Tall shot blockers who would be able to put in 15 min a night in case one of the first two guys go down. My preference is the guy who makes more free throws and gobbles up rebounds, and that is Haddadi.
None of these guys would break the bank, and would be an insurance policy and a luxury for a young, contending team. In the draft, all that I expect is the best value/potential since there is no available playing time in the rotation. I know the season is still going, but Gallinari down, I feel it to be extremely important to look ahead and see how bright the future is for this team. There are so many key cogs signed for the next few years that this team will continue to pursue a championship, even if it isn't in the cards this year. But hey, anything can happen right?
