[jwplayer yqduqGwD-z6KDnl0B]
Surprise, surprise. Danilo Gallinari’s name has come up in trade rumors again.
Every since Gallo came to Oklahoma City as part of the blockbuster deal for Paul George in July, his tenure with the Thunder has had an expected expiration date.
It’s not really surprising, to be honest. The better he plays during the early part of the season, the more his name is going to get tossed around as a potential player on the move.
And Gallinari has been really good as of late.
He’s second on the team in scoring at 18.6 points per game. His three-point play has been a huge boost to a Thunder team that hasn’t shot three’s well in recent years. Gallinari is hitting 43.7% of his shots from the perimeter, which is sixth-best in the NBA.
Thunder battles till the end. @gallinari8888 pic.twitter.com/KVHPSMmctU
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) November 11, 2019
Which makes it reasonable to believe that the Portland Trailblazers would be interested in acquiring him.
Per The Ringer’s Paolo Uggetti, Portland may be on the lookout for a big man they can bring in after suffering roster turnovers and inconvenient injuries. Gallo could be the perfect fit.
“Danilo Gallinari is another trade candidate who could fit in well with this team. He would be the perfect stretch 4 to play with Portland’s deadly backcourt. And while it’s unclear what Oklahoma City’s ultimate goals are for this season, Gallinari and his expiring contract could be a tasty asset for Sam Presti to try to swap for another first-round pick.”
Inquisitor’s JB Baruelo likewise believes that Portland could be a good landing spot for Gallinari, should the Thunder still be committed to an overhaul.
“Gallinari would be an incredible addition to the Trail Blazers, giving them an All-Star-caliber power forward who could serve as their third-best scoring option behind Lillard and McCollum. Having a floor-spacing big man like Gallinari would further improve the Trail Blazers’ offensive efficiency, which currently ranks 10th in the league.”
The question is, would a first-round pick being enough to entice Presti to move a guy that has been so integral so far this season. It might have to be.
As Baruelo points out, ‘trading him for future draft assets before the 2020 February NBA trade deadline would be their best option, rather than letting him walk away in the 2020 NBA free agency as an unrestricted free agent without getting anything in return.”