Series of Cryptic Tweets Links Celtics With Danilo Gallinari Replacement

Danilo Gallinari

Getty Danilo Gallinari #8 of the Atlanta Hawks.

The name that’s been associated the most as Danilo Gallinari’s replacement on the Boston Celtics has been Carmelo Anthony. Much like Gallinari, Anthony’s place in the NBA has come from his reputation as a scorer and that he plays the forward spot too. Anthony’s connection to the Celtics started when Brandon Robinson of Bally Sports reported that the Celtics considered Anthony a potential signee on August 30, although he also added that the New York Knicks were “believed to have interest” in Anthony too.

Since September 5, Robinson has been quote tweeting any Carmelo Anthony-related tweets with a shamrock emoji, strongly indicating that he believes that Anthony will wind up on the Celtics. This started with Robinson quote tweeting Anthony directly with the previously mentioned shamrock emoji.

Since then, Robinson has done the exact same thing when quote-tweeting multiple members of Boston media, like Gary Washburn and Adam Kaufman, who brought up Anthony as a possible option following Gallinari’s confirmed torn ACL.

Reading between the lines, Robinson sounds confident that Anthony will end up with the Celtics.


Anthony to Celtics “Starting to Gain Traction”

On September 3, Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe reported that there had been “traction” on a potential deal between the Celtics and Anthony.

“This is starting to gain traction because Anthony may be the best shooting forward left on the market, and he has shown to be productive offensively despite his age.”

Washburn did not add much besides that reporting-wise, though he did include that both sides could stand to help the other out. While Anthony could give the Celtics a scorer and can stay on the court, Boston can offer him a chance to win a title.

“He turned 38 in May, but he managed to play 69 games last season and average 13.3 points off the bench,” Washburn said. “Anthony has remained in great shape and can still score. He had 20 or more points in 11 games last season and played 26 minutes per game, showing his durability. Anthony wants an opportunity to win a championship, and this could be his best chance.”


Celtics Have ‘No Urgency’ to Sign Anthony

On September 6, Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe reported that the Celtics are not in a rush to add someone like Anthony to the roster because they’d rather see what they currently have on the roster first.

“Some have been clamoring for the Celtics to quickly replace Gallinari with a veteran free agent such as Carmelo Anthony, but there is no urgency. I was told they’d rather see what they have in 6-foot-8-inch second-year sharpshooter Sam Hauser, give a few more minutes to their younger players, and see how some training camp battles unfold.”

Steve Hewitt of the Boston Herald reported something similar on September 2.

“According to a league source, the C’s aren’t in a hurry to make a deal or sign Anthony, and they’re interested in taking a look at all of their internal depth options, including Mfiondu Kabengele and Luke Kornet.”

Neither Himmelsbach nor Hewitt said verbatim that the Celtics weren’t interested in Anthony, so while they may take a look to see what their roster currently has, adding Anthony might be a move they make further down the line.