Danilo Gallinari had his guarantee increased from $5 million to $10,428,880 in order to facilitate the Hawks-Spurs Dejounte Murray trade, which is a nice windfall for Gallinari.
The downside for Gallinari: He didn’t enter free agency with everyone else, needing to wait to clear waivers after getting cut by San Antonio.
But he has still already lined up his next contract – with the Celtics.
Brian Robb of MassLive:
League source tells MassLive two-year deal for Danilo Gallinari will include a player option for year 2, worth $13 million total. More on the expected deal: https://t.co/YVhKcqQTg7
— Brian Robb (@BrianTRobb) July 1, 2022
The Celtics excelled defensively last season by playing lineups with no weak links to attack. Gallinari doesn’t fit that framework.
But Gallinari should boost Boston’s too-often-stagnant offense with his floor spacing. Gallinari is an excellent 3-point shooter who, at 6-foot-10, doesn’t need much separation to get off his shot. Defenders must stick closely to him. Gallinari will give Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown more room to attack the basket.
Gallinari, who turns 34 this summer, has already shown signs of decline. Giving him near the full taxpayer mid-level exception with a player option might not pay off – especially for a team already facing the luxury tax.
But the Celtics are in championship contention, and I’m not sure who else was available to them. The team is better off paying to get Gallinari than settling for a minimum-salary player to save money. Credit Boston ownership for spending.
