Danilo Gallinari plans to opt out of his contract and become a free agent, according to a report.
Gallinari has a $16.1 million option for next season but will decline it, The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Instead, he will become an unrestricted free agent, where he can sign a long-term deal for more money.
Though Gallinari is planning to decline his option, he is open to a return to Denver, according to Woj.
Nuggets exec Tim Connelly has said that bringing Gallinari back is a top priority for the franchise.
Gallinari has been plagued by injuries since being traded to Denver in the Carmelo Anthony deal during the 2010-2011 season. He suffered a torn ACL that cost him the entire 2013-2014 season and has only played in more than 63 games in a season once since joining the Nuggets.
Gallinari averaged 18.2 points and 5.2 rebounds per game during the season. He averaged 44.7 percent from the field and shot 38.9 percent on threes. He should be a top free agent on the market despite his injury history.
