Denver Nuggets: Complete 2017 offseason grades

The Danilo Gallinari sign-and-trade

In signing Paul Millsap to a contract starting at $30 million, the Nuggets effectively made their decision about which free agent forward they most valued. Even so, they worked at first to work out a deal at or below market value to bring Danilo Gallinari back to start at the 3 alongside Millsap.

In the end, the Nuggets did not have either the role nor the money Gallinari most coveted, and he declared his intentions to sign with the Los Angeles Clippers. Without the requisite cap space, the Clippers engaged Denver and the Atlanta Hawks in a three-team sign-and-trade to free up the space and add the Italian forward to their new-look lineup.

Rather than lose Gallinari for nothing, the Nuggets performed a sign-and-trade action and were provided a second round pick for their troubles. The pick, a second-rounder, is unlikely to move the needle for the organization. But something over nothing is always preferable.

The other angle is that the Nuggets helped a rival Western Conference team get better, and in a way that is true. But if Denver had not cooperated, the Clippers would have simply cleared more space and signed Gallinari outright using cap room, and the Nuggets would be without any compensation. Their reputation among the league is important to Denver, and by helping Gallinari reach his preferred destination, they showed players across the league their willingness to help their players.

In the end the impact on Denver is small, as they would have lost Gallinari almost certainly either way. The trade was a low-risk, low-reward move that made sense to make.

Grade: B-