Danilo Gallinari has provided a significant boost to Oklahoma City’s offense this season after coming over from the Los Angeles Clippers in the trade for Paul George.
Gallinari has been a consistent scoring threat, especially from the perimeter where he’s making over 40% of his three-point attempts.
His offensive production is a large part of why the Thunder have exceeded expectations throughout the first half of the season. So it’s no surprise that there are several teams that are reportedly looking at bringing in Gallo as they prepare for a second-half push towards the playoffs
According to The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor, Gallinari has caught the eye of both the Philadelphia 76ers and the Dallas Mavericks.
Multiple playoff teams have expressed interest in the Thunder forward, including the Mavericks and Sixers, according to league sources. Gallinari is a potent scorer everywhere on the court, in any play type—whether he’s posting up, isolating, or in the pick-and-roll as a screener or ball handler.
When it comes to the Mavericks, however, O’Connor notes that “Dallas may not have enough assets to acquire Gallinari if OKC decides to trade him, but he’s a dynamic player that the team should pursue.”
As for how he would fare in Philadelphia, according to Justin Grasso of Sports Illustrated, “word around the league is that the Sixers are looking for a player who can offer an immediate upgrade when it comes to perimeter shooting”, and Gallo might just fit the bill.
While he has started in 38 games for the Thunder this season, averaging 19 points-per-game, he could be a substantial addition to potentially come off the bench and offer up solid minutes for Philly.
Although neither report mentions who either team would be willing to give up in order to get Gallinari, it’s reasonable to believe that Sam Presti wouldn’t move the 31-year-old without getting something significant in return that would help continue to build the franchise towards the future.