With the free agency period right away the corner, it has shifted the focus around the league to various players set to hit the open market.
One of which is veteran forward Danilo Gallinari, who will become an unrestricted free agent this upcoming weekend giving him the opportunity to gauge the interest of several teams. During a recent interview with Premium Sport radio, Gallinari indicated that the Denver Nuggets are not necessarily his first choice in free agency.
“Nuggets are not my first choice but they are exactly at the same level of the other teams. Denver’s advantage is that they can offer me a five-year contract while other franchises can offer me a four-year deal. Nuggets are at the same level of the others.”
This doesn't exactly sound optimistic that Gallinari will be back with the team next season. At the same time, he is also making light of the team's exclusive option of offering him a max five-year deal.
Gallinari has been a mainstay for the Nuggets over the last 5 1/2 seasons since being acquired from the New York Knicks midway through the 2010-11 season. Despite dealing with persistent injuries over the last few years, the 28-year-old has proven to be a reliable offensive scoring punch for the team.
He is also still young enough to warrant a max contract offer. However, the Nuggets may not view him as the caliber of player that should garner this type of deal that would essentially make him the face of the franchise. Keep in mind, Denver possesses a young core group of players with plenty of potential to develop in a promising team.
Ultimately, what Gallinari's comments signal is that there is a realistic chance he leaves in free agency next month.
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