NBA: Will Denver Nuggets Lose out on Re-Signing Nene?

NBA Rumors Revolving Around Denver Nuggets' Forward Nene Beginning to Heat Up

The time to re-sign Nene has passed for the Denver Nuggets.

He had one year remaining on his contract that would have paid him $11.6 million. Instead he decided to exercise his option to forgo the final season of the deal and become an unrestricted free agent, as first reported by Chris Dempsey of The Denver Post.

Now that the lockout is going to be official, the two parties will not be able to contact each other for potentially a long time.

This is not a good thing for the Nuggets.

The Nuggets seventh overall selection in the 2002 draft has never known anything besides Denver. Coming over from Brazil, the Mile High City is his American home. Now it looks like the "grass is always greener" effect is in full swing.

Nene is ready to test the free-agency waters and find a team that will pay him more and give him a better chance to win an NBA championship. He is fed up of running in place atop the rocky mountains.

The Nuggets are always a perennial playoff team, yet they have become the definition of a "one-and-done." They have made the playoffs a very impressive eight years in a row and counting. Yet, they have only made it out of the first round once.

Nene is sick of the same song and dance and is looking to find a home where the season goes into the month of May.

The timing makes sense for Nene, considering he is coming off a season in which he averaged career highs in points (14.6) and field-goal percentage (61). For his eight seasons in the league, he has averaged 12.3 points a seven boards.

The 28-year-old is ready to see what else the NBA has to offer and this is the first step.

This is not to say that the Nuggets aren't trying their hardest to make sure Nene continues to sport sky blue. GM Masai Ujiri has repeatedly told the press he wants him to come back. He has gone as far as to say he "doesn't wanna think about it," when asked if he can envision a 2011-2012 Nuggets team without the 6-10 center.

Yet a higher up suit may ultimately decide how this saga plays out. Stan Kroenke, owner of the Nuggets and seemingly a team in every other sport, placed the majority of the decisions regarding the franchise with his 30-year-old son Josh.

Like father like son, the Kroenkes don't like to be pushed into a corner. Mark Kiszla of The Denver Post talks about the role that Josh will play in the negotiations:

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History suggests any player or team executive who attempts to leverage a perceived position of weakness from the Kroenke family often ends up with a swift kick in the pants rather than a fatter wallet.

In the crusade for an NBA championship, Nene is ill-suited to play Batman or Robin. After nine seasons in the league, the 6-foot-11 center has never been named to the All- Star Game. This likable giant is too gentle of spirit to grab true greatness by the scruff of the neck."

Under a new, tighter cap, will Nene be able to find more cash and a better shot at a championship?

Highly unlikely.

Teams like the Heat, Lakers and Mavericks are all out of the question, as are teams like the Bulls, Spurs and the Magic.

No contender has $12M a year to blow on a "gentle giant" that has never shown the type of aggressiveness and intensity necessary to have success in the playoffs.

Maybe a team like the Warriors can shell out the dough—but May basketball doesn't exist by the bay.

Nene is overestimating his value. He thinks teams are looking in the glass case, when in reality, they are sifting through the bargain bin.

Nene's best bet was staying put and working with his young and promising cast of characters. Now he will either be taking a giant paycut or selling his soul for the almighty dollar.

He has an entire NBA lockout to think about it.

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