How the Nuggets Should Handle Iguodala

With Iguodala opting out of the final year of his contract, the Nuggets need to know how to handle the situation. He may not even want to come back, due to the fact that that the Nuggets did not resign Ujiri and they fired Karl. Those actions might not instill confidence in Iguodala about the ownership's willingness to win. He might find some better options, that are willing to hold onto their assets, elsewhere.

The Nuggets need to consider the cost of a long term contact and the benefits that he brings to the team. Iguodala is one of the best wing defenders in the league and his presence on the team made the entire defense better. His offensive game leaves a little to be desired. He does not have much of a mid-range game, but when he focuses on getting to the rim, rather than settling for jumpers, he is very good. He is one of the best shooting guards in the league because of his defense and offensive game combined.

I think the Nuggets will offer him a 5 year contract totaling around $60 million. That would be a better deal than the $16 million he would be making this year if he did not opt out. However, many other teams will be gunning for him. The Nuggets may have to up their offer because of the front office complications and Iguodala's worries about not being able to contend. If they are not able resign Iguodala, they will need to prepare for life after him.

If he does not come back next season, Evan Fournier will likely be starter. Fournier is a little more talented on offense, but he is nowhere close to Iguodala on the defensive end. The starter is not the most worrisome thing about Iguodala leaving, depth is. Corey Brewer is likely to leave in free agency, which leaves a gaping hole on the bench. As of now, Jordan Hamilton would be the first off of the bench. He is a good shooter, but again, his defense leaves a lot to be desired. If Iguodala leaves, they might have to draft someone or pick up another shooting guard in free agency, in order to get close to replacing him.

It is obvious that the best course of action will be to resign Iguodala at a reasonable price. If the price tag gets above $13 million a year, then the Nuggets should find course of action. They would miss his defense a lot, but I think Fournier has the potential to become a good defensive player, not at the level of Iguodala, but he could be solid. I would be depressed if some other team signed him for less than that because that would mean that either the front office did not want to pay or he was angry that both Karl and Ujiri left. Iguodala was an integral part of the team's success last season and need to be resigned.