It seems everyone is waiting on free agent Dwight Howard to make his decision, including players Josh Smith and Andre Iguodala. However, the Denver Nuggets, who have been trying to get Andre Iguodala to re-up with their team, have been left in purgatory while everyone waits out Dwight Howard’s decision. This has become frustrating for fans and apparently players alike. According to Chris Dempsey at the Denver Post:
Iguodala is content to sit back and watch what happens. When the Howard dust settles and the center is with a new team, there will be more offers, more situations to look at, and potentially more money to be gained for Iguodala and others. Fuming over a misplayed rescinded offer from Sacramento, the Nuggets had the spotlight all to themselves in luring him back earlier in the week. But no deal has been struck and Nuggets players like Ty Lawson have lost a bit of faith that their personal best efforts to persuade him to return have fallen on deaf ears.
The Nuggets limbo has gone a long way toward creating vast uncertainty about the future direction of the team. With the ego-stroking aspect of the NBA Free Agent market coming in to play, Andre Iguodala could stand to make more money than the Nuggets are willing to pay after Howard makes his decision. In the meantime, viable players have suddenly drifted off the market, including shooters such as J.J. Redick, Mike Dunleavy, Kyle Korver and Marco Belinelli have drifted out of the market.
It’s a point where the Nuggets, I’m sure didn’t anticipate finding themselves. Locked into waiting impatiently for someone who is increasingly looking to other shores. This ties the team’s hands. So the Nuggets may be left “playing the young guys” next year while taking a very dramatic step back. With Danilo Gallinari out until possibly December, this could put the team behind the eight ball. While this talent is enough to keep the team competitive, the Nuggets trajectory is aimed right at the middle of the pack, which is a very very bad place to be in indeed.
What will the team do going forward? I guess we will find out once Dwight Howard make his decision.
