Boston Celtics free agent prospects: Danilo Gallinari will opt out in Denver
As expected, high-scoring small forward Danilo Gallinari will opt out of the final year of his deal in Denver. Will the Boston Celtics be a landing spot?
The answer to that question will depend on what happens with Gordon Hayward. As the Boston Celtics have made it known that the current Utah Jazz star is their top priority in free agency, Denver Nuggets forward Danilo Gallinari wouldn’t be a nice consolation prize.
As reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical on Tuesday, Gallinari will decline his $16.1 million player option with the Nuggets and test free agency this summer.
Like Hayward, the 28-year-old forward could choose to return to his current team. But a team like the Celtics is an intriguing destination for a player looking to being part of a contender.
Gallinari’s potential interest in Boston
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Although the Nuggets have a nice core and made a push towards the playoffs in 2016-17, they are a few years away from contention. Add to the fact that they are in the loaded Western Conference, moving to the Eastern Conference could also be attractive to a player like Gallinari.
Again, that’s where the Boston Celtics come in. With the No. 1 pick overall in this year’s NBA draft and a ton of assets, the Atlantic Division Champions are just a couple players away from really pushing the Cleveland Cavaliers. A scoring option like Gallinari could be a piece the team needs.
While Danny Ainge has made it clear the team wants great players and not just good players, Danilo Gallinari has been linked to the team on a few occasions. The interest is there, but it may come down to the team’s chances at luring Hayward to Boston and how much Gallinari is asking for.
Related Story: Boston Celtics Rumors: Gordon Hayward is the No. 1 priority this offseason
During the 2016-17 season, the sharp-shooting forward averaged 18.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists. That is the type of scoring the Celtics could use and Gallinari is the type of player who could fit very nicely with the type of basketball Brad Stevens likes to play.
With players like Blake Griffin, Paul Milsap, Gallinari and potentially Gordon Hayward on the market, the summer of 2017 will certainly be an interesting one in Boston.
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