As the embers of a hot summer cool off, former sixth overall pick Danilo Gallinari remains unsigned.
At 36 years old and far removed from his prime, many are thinking the Italian forward will return to his home country to continue his career. Not only does Gallinari have experience with Olimpia Milano, the premier team in Italy, players at this stage in their careers often begin to look for opportunities abroad. For example, 36-year-old Patrick Beverley eschewed NBA offers to sign with Hapoel Tel Aviv. The primary impetus for his move was the chance to have an expanded scoring role.
However, while Gallinari averaged career-lows of 5.7 points and 12.9 minutes per game last season, he’s not ready to leave the league yet.
Danilo Gallinari Opens Up About NBA Future, Signing With Heat
“A return to Italy? Not yet,” he tells La Repubblica’s Mario Frongia (h/t BasketNews).
“There is still time for [me in] the market, anything can happen at any time. Miami? It’s not my time yet, there are other free agents and we’ll decide later. It could be anywhere, as long as it’s a competitive franchise,” the resolute veteran finishes.
Gallinari’s mention of the Miami Heat is significant with limited movement in South Beach this summer.
Unable to afford DeMar DeRozan, their most notable offseason addition is rookie big man Kel’el Ware. While the youngster does look like a draft night steal, there’s a feeling that the Heat need more weapons. To that point, while the Boston Celtics are the reigning champions, the Philadelphia 76ers and New York Knicks are loading up.
Gallinari wouldn’t be expected to average 15.9 points and 5.9 rebounds per game while shooting 38.1 percent from 3 as he did from the 2009-10 to 2021-22 season. However, at 6-foot-10, he can play up to three positions while offering live ball skills and efficient 3-point shooting. For a coach like Erik Spoelstra, he could be a legitimate weapon.
At the very least, he’d offer depth in a frontcourt that includes Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Nikola Jovic, and Kevin Love. With such a deep group, Gallinari not only won’t be relied on, he may not play much. Nonetheless, with Butler, Jovic, and Love’s injury history, he’d likely hear his number called eventually.
Gallo’s Retirement Tour?
BasketNews makes note of the fact that Gallinari “is currently training with Treviglio, a Serie B team.” This minute detail may not mean much, but it does show that Gallinari isn’t sitting around on the couch waiting for a call. When or if he is signed, teams can count on him to be ready for game action.
Yet, the 14-year veteran is likely to retire after the 2024-25 season.
“According to ‘La Prealpina’ , moreover, next season will probably be Gallinari’s last as a player. After retiring, Gallo would intend to continue his career as an executive — preferably in the NBA.”
This is likely a reason Gallinari’s working so diligently, as well as why he’s holding out for an NBA contract. After all, he was one of the better players in the league for several years. There really isn’t a better place for him to end his career.
