The Denver Nuggets may face a tough decision regarding their team option on Paul Millsap’s mammoth-sized $30 million contract.
How valuable is Paul Millsap to the Denver Nuggets? That question will soon be answered, as the team will have to put its option into action by way of his gigantic $30 million team option for the 2019-2020 season.
Expensive? Yes. Highway robbery? Also, yes. But worth it? This is where Nuggets fans split down the middle, shouting back-and-forth at each other across the Rocky Mountain ravine.
Millsap is a player whose value is underappreciated, largely because his impact isn’t immediately noticeable to the casual eye. Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray post huge offensive numbers, establishing their importance as nearly undisputed. Yet, the winning formula isn’t that simple.
In the recent past, the Nuggets’ defense largely resembled a wall of jello. Sure it was physically present, but the likes of Russell Westbrook and James Harden needed only a slight finger-poke to send the entire contraption toppling into a sticky, fragmented mess.
For a while, it was bad enough to avoid discussing at parties, and the squad’s solution was to scrap the idea of stopping anyone and simply outscore teams. It worked…if the goal was consecutive ninth-place placements.
Much will be said about the $30.4M Paul Millsap team option for next year especially after going 3/13 from the field. I don't see the Nuggets declining the number just to create $17M in room. Denver is safe from the luxury tax to bring back Millsap.
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) May 12, 2019
In 2017-18, the Nuggets finished 23rd overall with a defensive rating of 109.9. The team finished one game out of the playoffs, and Millsap missed 44 games that year with a left wrist injury. Before Millsap in 2016-17, the squad finished 29th overall with a 111.7 mark. Denver again ended up one game out of the playoffs.
Fast-forward to 2018-19, and Millsap managed 70 appearances. His presence helped the Nuggets finish 10th overall with a sturdy 108.0 defensive rating. Consequently, the squad catapulted past several rivals and finished second in the Western Conference with a stunning 54-28 record.
It was Millsap who quarterbacked the starting defense, posting a strong 104.8 defensive rating while constantly scrambling to cover for teammates. His departure would surely harm the Nuggets’s guarding abilities — they may very well return to a crumbly defensive mess.
In addition to his strong defense, Millsap averaged 12.6 points and 7.2 rebounds per game in 2018-19. He upped his scoring in the postseason, notching 14.6 points while pulling down 6.7 rebounds per game. His numbers are solid but likely aren’t $30 million dollar material, sparking much debate over the proper course of action.
The likely outcome is a negotiation between Denver and Millsap. Each would benefit from a cheaper, multiyear deal. But if that doesn’t happen, Denver should absolutely exercise its option. Why?
When Millsap signed with Denver in the 2017 offseason, he broke a long free agency drought for the Nuggets. Anyone expecting Kawhi Leonard or Jimmy Butler in a Nuggets uniform is, quite frankly, a mile high. Marquee free agents don’t park in Denver. They just don’t.
“I can do it my way and still win.” #MileHighBasketball https://t.co/mwrchDGk8y
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) May 15, 2019
The Golden State Warriors may see a roster revamp this summer with the impending free agency of Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant. On the Nuggets’ end, Will Barton and Gary Harris should experience better health next year. 2018 first-round pick Michael Porter Jr. could be a star at small forward.
This means that starting in 2019-2020, the Nuggets are in title territory, the same way Grandpa might win a Walmart bingo game. It probably won’t happen, but darn it all if the old coot doesn’t get lucky in his final days.
No title path has been prepared for non-superteams in recent years. There were the Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavilers, all of who assembled multiple superstars and terrorized the league’s remaining squads into meek silence. If Golden State splits ways with its core, the league will be as wide open as it’s been in years.
The Nuggets have an outside shot at being top dogs. If nothing else, they’re as competitive as they’ve been in decades. Millsap has proven to be a large part of that success, he’s definitely worth the keeper.
Sometimes huge opportunities aren’t about the price tag. Things are going so well, and the competition may finally be weakening. Denver cannot make its biggest mistake in recent history and let Millsap walk for fear of falling back down to mediocrity.