After countless swings and misses, Nuggets finally land their big name in Paul Millsap

The Denver Nuggets and their front office had done nearly everything right over the past three years: repairing a broken locker room under coach Brian Shaw, rebuilding on the fly through the draft as any small-mid market franchise should, and establishing a culture in Denver that reflected well throughout the rest of the league.

But it was clear that to get to the next step as an organization, even with budding talent like Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Gary Harris, and Juancho Hernangomez, who Denver acquired all through the draft, the Nuggets would have to go out onto the open market and get a big name that re-engaged a fractured fan base and raised Denver’s profile.

The Nuggets tried to and nearly signed free agent Dwyane Wade last summer. They engaged and had a trade in place for the same Paul Millsap that they were able to agree to terms with Sunday this time last year. Denver made a “monster offer” to the Pacers for Paul George at February’s trade deadline and nearly landed Kevin Love in the much-publicized three-team trade with Cleveland and Indiana that would have sent George to the Cavs that reportedly fell apart at the time of draft.

But despite those swings and misses, president of basketball operations Tim Connelly, general manager Arturas Karnisovas and president and governor Josh Kroenke kept their heads down and found a way to land the franchise’s biggest free agent signing since Antonio McDyess in 1998 and the name they’ve been searching for since Carmelo Anthony left town in 2011.

By signing Millsap to a three-year, $90 million contract, with a team option on year three, according to CBS Sports’ Matt Moore, the Nuggets got their guy.

The perfect fit

In Millsap, Denver gets a four-time All-Star, who’s one of the most consistent players in the NBA today. The 32-year-old averaged at least 16.5 points and 7 rebounds per game in each of the past seven seasons. He’s a consummate professional on and off the floor, who comes to Denver without any black marks on his resume.

In terms of Millsap’s fit alongside the rest of Denver’s core in Jokic, Murray, and Harris, along with veteran Wilson Chandler, Denver’s presumed starting small forward, it’s picture perfect.

Millsap will help cover for many of Jokic’s shortcomings on the defensive end of the floor, and hopefully, install a defensive-minded attitude that coach Michael Malone has harped for over his two seasons in Denver. His veteran leadership will show up off the court, in the locker room, on the practice floor, and of course during games. He’ll be a crucial mentor and teacher of the next couple of seasons for Murray, Harris, Jokic, Hernangomez, Malik Beasley, and Denver’s other young guns.

On offense, Millsap will team with Jokic to form one of the most versatile offensive frontcourts in recent league history. Adding Millsap, who’s a gifted passer himself, to Jokic, the best passing big man possibly in league history, gives Denver an endless amount of possibilities on that end of the floor and somehow adds to the Nuggets’ No. 1 ranked offense over the second-half of last season.

Millsap only hit 31.5 percent of his threes over the last two seasons, a sharp drop off from the 35.6 mark he posted in 2014-15, but that comes with age. Denver doesn’t need Millsap to be a dead-eye marksman from three because they’ll likely surround him with four other plus-shooters.

Millsap averaged 1.0 points per possession on post-ups last season, placing him in the 83rd percentile league-wide and Atlanta was roughly seven points per 100 possessions better with Millsap on the floor. He’s getting up there in age, but Millsap is still a two-way force that’s a game-changer on both ends of the court.

The Money

What a coup by Connelly and the Nuggets to get Millsap for $90 million over three years but the true kicker is the third-year team option. Sure, Millsap could continue to drop off as his age continues to climb and numbers could take a hit, but free agents like Millsap don’t grow on trees and don’t get on the market often. They don’t usually give Denver a seat at the table either so this was an opportunity that the Nuggets’ brain trust had to pounce on and deliver.

Deliver they did. The third-year team option gives Denver the chance to get out from under Millsap’s deal just when Jokic will likely be up for a max deal and Murray will be getting ready for an extension. The Nuggets got Millsap for the short term while still managing to keep their books clean for the future.

Denver likely isn’t done either. They’ve been rumored to show interest in a couple veteran point guards like George Hill and in the wake of Danilo Gallinari‘s likely departure to Los Angeles, the Nuggets will need to get some type of reinforcement on the wing.

Power forward is another situation Denver needs to sort out, not on the open market but within their own roster. Behind Millsap sits Kenneth Faried, the starter at that spot for 34 games this season and 64 in 2015-16. It’s difficult imagining Faried shifting back to a bench role with Millsap’s arrival.

Behind Faried sits newcomer Trey Lyles, whom Denver acquired in a draft-night trade, No. 24 overall pick Tyler Lydon, Hernangomez, who can play some four, and Darrell Arthur. Expect Denver to consolidate their assets at that position in the coming weeks.

Connelly has long been a fan of Millsap and the Nuggets have courted him for the better part of the last year. Denver was able to answer the moves made by the Minnesota Timberwolves and Oklahoma City, who added Jimmy Butler and Paul George to a stacked Northwest Division and Western Conference.

The Nuggets are now penciled into a playoff spot with Millsap and they might not be done adding to their roster.

Finally, Denver got their guy.