NBA Rumors: Nuggets, Danilo Gallinari talking extension
Once on the trading block, it now appears that the Denver Nuggets are looking to extend forward Danilo Gallinari.
After coming over to the Denver Nuggets from the New York Knicks as part of the Carmelo Anthony mega-deal in 2011, there were some high hopes for Danilo Gallinari in the Mile High City. Unfortunately, things have not worked out as planned and the forward has fought off a multitude of injuries, limiting his production on the court.
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However, it doesn’t appear that the Nuggets are quite ready to write-off the 26-year-old just yet.
According to European basketball site Sportando, the Nuggets have engaged Gallinari about a possible extension and there appears to be mutual interest on the part of the forward. Gallinari is in the final year of a four-year, $42 million extension he signed with Denver in January 2012.
Earlier this winter, we had heard reports that the Memphis Grizzlies were possible interested in acquiring Gallinari via a trade with the Nuggets, but that never came to fruition and it appears the Denver is now trying to change course a bit.
When on the court, Gallinari has been a solid contributor to the Nuggets offense. Over the last three seasons, he has averaged 14.5 points on .412 shooting from the field and .357 from behind the arc. Additionally, he tossed in 4.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists while averaging 29.4 minutes per game.That’s given him an average VORP (Value Over Replacement Player) rating of 5.1 over the lat three years.
However, keeping Gallinari on the court has always been the issue. Since appearing in 81 games with the Knicks in 2009-10, Gallinari has managed an average of just 59 games per season in the four years since. During that time, he has played in 70 or more games just once in 2012-13. Gallinari missed all of the 2013-14 seasons and appeared in just 59 contests last season.
Given that he is just 26-years-old, the Nuggets still have some time to recoup some value from Gallinari. However, any contract extension is likely to include some sort of health riders inserted into the language, protecting the team from any further issues. Whether the two sides can come to an agreement on what provides security to both parties remains to be seen, but one would imagine that the two parties did not get to this point without the understanding that they will have to meet halfway.
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