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Denver Nuggets: Arron Afflalo has decision to make with new TV deal

By Wes Goldberg

Mar 18, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; q guard Stephen Curry (30) pulls on the jersey of Orlando Magic guard Arron Afflalo (4) during the second quarter at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 18, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; q guard Stephen Curry (30) pulls on the jersey of Orlando Magic guard Arron Afflalo (4) during the second quarter at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /
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Arron Afflalo has a decision on his hands in regards to new TV deal

Among the best two-way shooting guards in the NBA, Arron Afflalo was among the most underrated players in the league last season. That’s probably partly due to the fact that he played with the Orlando Magic.

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It was well known that the rebuilding Magic were shopping Afflalo’s expiring deal, but they didn’t seem to get much in return for him. He was traded to the Denver Nuggets for a package centered around Evan Fournier. While we don’t know what other offers the Magic had on the table, many believed Affalo was worth more than a backup guard.

Afflalo will make $7.5 million this season and a player option at the end of the year. With the NBA’s new TV deal, the salary cap is sure to jump. Players, like LeBron James and Lance Stephenson, signed two-year deals in order to become free agents in 2016 and take advantage of larger salaries.

As the Denver Post’s Christopher Dempsey points out, Afflalo is in position to do the same, but it’s not that easy.

"No player on the Nuggets’ roster will be paying more attention to what happens with the cap than Afflalo. The difference could be millions. If that cap is allowed to rise with the TV deal, Afflalo has a very big decision to make. He has a player option coming up after this season. He could decline it, go on the market as a free agent and then sign a new deal next summer. Or, he could pick up the option, play out the last season of his contract and rake in much more under the new financial structure. The risk, of course, is injury. But if he didn’t get injured and his play declined, he’d still be able to command a bit more than the $7.5 million he’s making each of the next two seasons because the new cap would allow teams to be more liberal with money and more competitive in pursuing the players they want. It is by far the most interesting contract to watch on the team."

Even though Afflalo has played a full 82-game season just once in his seven seasons (in 2009), I believe it is still worth the risk. Simply put, $7.5 million for a terrific two-way guard is peanuts, and surely will be viewed as even less when the cap jumps. Even if injuries play a factor, NBA teams seem more than willing to pay guys who don’t play full seasons. Just look at Eric Bledsoe.

This is an easy decision. If Afflalo wasn’t opting out before the TV deal was announced, he more than likely is now.

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