NBA Free Agents 2011: Denver Nuggets Reportedly Ink Arron Afflalo to 5-Year Deal

Wrapping up the services of shooting guard Arron Afflalo for the foreseeable future was a key priority for the Denver Nuggets this offseason, and the latest word around the campfire is that they have done just that.

Per ESPN.com's Marc Stein, here's the latest news:

So first they re-signed Nene, and now they've re-signed Afflalo. Not a bad offseason for the Nuggets.

While not a star, the Nuggets know what they're getting with Afflalo. He's a good shooter who plays good defense, and he has the perfect approach for a George Karl-coached team. Afflalo knows he's a role player, and he plays his role well.

At a little over $8 million per year, the Nuggets may be overpaying Afflalo a little bit. But he is still a relatively young player, so the Nuggets must figure that his ceiling is high.

They can certainly be excused for thinking as much. Afflalo is coming off his best season as a pro in 2010-2011. He started all 69 games in which he played and averaged a career-best 12.6 points per game. He kept it up in the playoffs, averaging 11.3 points per game.

As a whole, the Nuggets don't seem to be strong enough to compete with the best of the best in the Western Conference. However, the thing to keep in mind is that this team improved greatly after trading Carmelo Anthony last season, so they should not be underestimated.

The Nuggets may not be Finals contenders, but they will make some noise in the Western Conference.