When Paul Millsap signed with the Denver Nuggets during the summer of 2017, he was considered one of the best two-way players in the game and was coming off of four straight All-Star appearances.
However, the Millsap that the Nuggets have gotten has not even resembled the player he was during his run with the Atlanta Hawks.
Of course, injuries have played a role, as Millsap played in just 38 games last year and missed 12 games this season, but even when he has been on the floor, he has not looked the same.
That certainly might have something to do with the fact that he is 34 years old. Or, maybe Denver simply isn't the best fit for him.
The Nuggets have a $30 million team option on Millsap for next season, and it is one that they seem likely to decline.
So, here are three ideal free-agent destinations for Millsap:
The Lakers probably are not going to be able to land one of the very top-tier free agents, so they may have to settle for the B-listers like Tobias Harris and Millsap.
But here is the thing: Millsap is a better all-around player than Harris, and in conjunction with LeBron James and guys like Kyle Kuzma and Brandon Ingram, he would fit pretty well as a small-ball 5.
Now, because Kuzma and Ingram are both battling for frontcourt minutes as well, Millsap's playing time with the Lakers may not be clearly defined from the jump, but let's face it: Los Angeles is trying to win now, and Millsap provides the Lakers with a better chance to do that than one of their young guys.
Millsap and James would be a pretty nice duo defensively, as they both have some versatility and can guard multiple positions for stretches. Plus, Millsap would give the Lakers the floor spacer they so desperately need.
The Clippers have a lot of talent up front in the form of Montrezl Harrell and Ivica Zubac, but outside of Danilo Gallinari, they don't have a lot of floor spacing.
Of course, Los Angeles can just re-sign JaMychal Green on the cheap, but Millsap may end up being the better option, even if he will make Steve Ballmer open his wallet a bit more.
While the Clips are almost certainly aiming to land two max free agents this summer, they may end up having to settle for one, and if that's the case, they could use another good all-around player to bring aboard.
How about Millsap?
Millsap would not only give LA another offensive option who can pretty much score from all over the floor, but he would give them a defender who can switch everything along with Harrell. Imagine for a second the Clippers land both Millsap and Kawhi Leonard. Imagine that defensive unit?
1. Utah Jazz
How about going back to where it all started?
Millsap spent the first seven years of his career in Utah, where he was widely considered one of the most underrated players in the league. Now, the Jazz have some cap space to play around with, and they have a desperate need for a secondary scorer alongside of Donovan Mitchell.
Is Millsap still capable of averaging 18 points per game? We don't know for sure, but what we do know is that he is certainly a better offensive option than anything Utah currently has in its frontcourt, and defensively, he would fit very nicely next to Rudy Gobert given Millsap's ability to guard the pick-and-roll and switch on the perimeter.
The Jazz also need a big who can spread the floor, and Millsap, who shot 36.5 percent from downtown this season, fits the bill there.
Utah would be a terrific landing spot for the Louisiana Tech product.
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