The Denver Nuggets must keep keep Andre Iguodala in the offseason

April 28, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Denver Nuggets shooting guard Andre Iguodala (9) shoots the ball before game four of the first round of the 2013 NBA playoffs against the Golden State Warriors at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Andre Iguodala has a player option for next season. He can opt-in and stay with the Nuggets and make $16 million next year. He can opt-out resign with the Nuggets for four years with an additional fifth year player option that other free agent destinations can’t offer. Or he can opt-out and sign with another team.

Iguodala wants to win a championship. He’s an Olympic gold medalist, former All-Star and is looking to add a ring to his resume. He’s hungry. Lucky for him, George Karl is hungry too. Karl is a borderline Hall of Fame candidate. The only argument against Karl’s HOF candidacy is that he doesn’t have a championship.

Can the Nuggets win a championship with Karl at the helm and Iguodala as the glue? Well, not with the current roster. There are pieces that need to be added. They need Gallo back healthy. They need shooters. They need players who don’t check out mentally when things don’t go their way. But pieces are here. There are plenty of pieces to make a trade for a superstar if Masai Ujiri chooses to go that route.

But Denver must keep Iguodala. He literally carried the Nuggets for stretches during the playoffs. He’s the reason the Nuggets were the 11th best defensive team in the regular season. He’s a professional, do-it-all player that Ujiri and company CAN’T afford to lose.

Ultimately, the choice is Iguodala’s but the Nuggets better start lobbying, and soon.

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