Danilo Gallinari opting out of his contract this summer is "probably a safe bet"

DENVER — Danilo Gallinari will likely decline his player option this summer and become a free agent.

General Manager Tim Connelly, in an  appearance on Altitude radio Monday, told Vic Lombardi that Gallinari opting out is “probably a safe bet.”

“That would be my assumption. I’d be extremely happy if Gallo didn’t opt out. But he’s got to be selfish and maximize his earning power,” Connelly said about the possibilities of Gallinari declining his option. “That’s probably a safe bet.”

It’s rare that a player, especially one of Gallinari’s stature around the league, would pick up his player option and turn down the opportunity to secure more money on the open market as a free agent, so this news is expected. That being said, the Nuggets can still look to re-sign Gallinari this summer.

“Right now with Gallo, there’s nothing we can do to keep him here long term until the offseason,” Connelly said. “He’s a guy that we value, a guy that I know really enjoys his time here and he’s playing great basketball.”

Gallinari, 28, is averaging 17.3 points on 43.5 percent shooting from the field and is hitting 39.2 percent of his three’s, both of which are tops since his rookie season in 2008-09. He’s taken a backseat to Nikola Jokic this season as Denver realigned their offensive gameplan to run through the big man, but Gallinari, as recently as Saturday in Phoenix proved he can still carry the Nuggets’ offense when need be. Gallinari scored 32 points on 9-14 shooting and grabbed eight rebounds in Denver’s win with Jokic sidelined due to a left hip flexor strain the 21-year-old suffered last week.

Denver still sits $7.66 million under the salary cap floor and will have ample money to spend this offseason. Gallinari has also stated on multiple occasions, notably at Media Day last season after he signed a two-year extension, that he wants to remain with the Nuggets for the rest of his career.

“I was just glad to stay in Denver. That was my goal. If you see my history with contracts, it’s never been about the money because if it was about the money I would have made other choices,” Gallinari said. “I love Denver and I want to stay here as long as I can. I would like to finish my career here. I was glad we were able to sign this contract.”