Nuggets: Paul Millsap discusses upcoming free agency
Denver Nuggets veteran Paul Millsap had a lengthy interview that covered all bases.
Denver Nuggets veteran forward Paul Millsap’s enlightening interview with The Undefeated’s Marc J. Spears is a must read. In it, the two cover everything from Millsap being drafted by the Utah Jazz in 2006 to why he didn’t want his four kids in the bubble to the civil unrest that’s been gripping the country this summer.
One of the most interesting quotes from Millsap was actually about his playing future, where he can continue to play for “awhile.”
"“I feel great, my body feels unbelievable at this stage of my career. Sometimes I have to remind myself I’m 35, I don’t feel it. But I do have a family, I do have kids who I want to spend time with.”"
Millsap even notes that even though his teammates — who are at least five years younger than he — try to tease him about his age, calling him “old man.”
However, “I’m still a kid at heart,” insists Millsap. “So, I play with them. We play games, I joke around. I keep myself youthful. They keep me youthful. So, I don’t feel old mentally or physically. That’s a good thing.”
Quotes like that make you believe that Millsap will try to play in the league for at least two or three more seasons.
Yet, with many believing that Father Time has caught Papa Paul, there’s definitely reason to question whether he’ll be back in Denver.
To that point, Sap — as he’s called by his current teammates — hasn’t budged from his position in saying he wants to return to the Nuggets. However, as you might have guessed from the $90 million deal he signed with Denver back in 2017, the NBA is a business to Millsap and it’s clear that money will be a factor in where he plays next season and beyond.
“At the end of the day, I love being here, but at the end of the day, it’s still a business,” he says.
“So, weighing both options and understanding the business of basketball. I got to make a decision based, you know, for myself and my family. And this is my family also. So, it’s going to be a tough decision and hopefully they want me back.”
That said, if he does have to leave the Nuggets for another team next season, he feels as though he accomplished what he set out to do with Denver. His “main goal” in signing with the Nuggets “was to help this team and organization get over the hump and help some of these younger guys develop into superstars, which they are.
I feel like I’ve helped through that.”