Longtime Denver Nuggets forward Danilo Gallinari will reportedly be forgoing his player option for the upcoming NBA season to test free agency this offseason, from what a league source told Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical. Gallinari’s player option for the 2017-18 season would have paid him $16.1 million to remain in Denver.
Gallinari had a fairly good season statistically last year, averaging 18.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game as the Nuggets fell just short of the 8th seed in the Western Conference. Gallinari is 28 years old and over his first nine seasons in the league has averaged 15.3 points and 4.7 rebounds while shooting just about 37% from beyond the arc.
Gallinari’s name will join other talented forwards Gordon Hayward, Blake Griffin, and Paul Millsap as free agents this summer; though it will not be unprecedented if he returns to Denver.
Nuggets’ GM Tim Connelly allegedly has a “strong desire to keep Gallinari” with his team, according to Wojnarowski.
Even if Gallinari stays with the Nuggets, nobody can fault him for – at the very least – testing out the waters and seeing how much money other teams (and Denver) are willing to offer. Considering the upcoming increases to the NBA salary cap, Gallinari may end up looking wise come next fall.
