Danilo Gallinari is a 6’10 “swingman with handles and a fiery three-point shot. He will have free agency options, even as a thirty-one with injury problems in his past.
The easiest solution would be to stay with the Oklahoma City Thunder, which has already said it is considering it. The most logical external option is to join the Miami Heat, which has chased him hard enough to discuss an extension of the contract to commercial expiration.
But Thunder could veer into a large-scale reconstruction sooner than later. The Heat had the chance to get Gallinari already and chose future flexibility instead.
This could be a stroke of luck for the suns, who were connected to Gallinari in January by B&R’s Eric Pincus. Phoenix appears on the market for a new 4 – Dario Saric was purchased on expiry and is not part of the long-term plans, according to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports (h / t Bright Side of the Sun) —and Gallinari may have the same type of lift that Ricky Rubio has provided this season.
The suns need a spacer to keep the inside free for Deandre Ayton and a scoring threat powerful enough to keep opponents from overloading on Devin Booker. Gallinari is ready for both tasks. He averages at least 18 points in four of the past five seasons and has the eighth highest three point conversion rate among 202 players to hit at least 100 triples since 2018-19.
Phoenix could offer Gallinari more money than anyone else, and if this team continues to trend, cashing in the desert wouldn’t necessarily cost them a trip to the playoffs.
