Here's the problem with AK in my estimation. If he walks, we lose someone who contributes more than most of us, myself included, recognize. Who in the heck will we get to replace all that? But if we re-sign him for too much which for me considering his injury history, inability to stretch the floor, inconsistency, and the current economic climate of the league, is anything over 6.5M per year, we screw ourselves going forward in ever being able to sign a true semi-marquee free agent. If we do re-sign him but on the cheap, and let's just say very cheap (3 years, 12M) for argument's sake, he's still here. He's still on the roster. He's still starting. It's the same old, same old, and even if someone like Hayward does supplant him at some point, that means we likely have salty AK coming off the bench. I guess my point is, his looming free agency is a touchy situation, and other than not re-signing him for too much, I don't know what else to think.
Perhaps the sensitivity of the issue is a microcosm of AK himself and is an indicator that we should just steer clear and rid ourselves of the headache that is AK.