Getty Jerami Grant guarding Danilo Gallinari.
There’s been a lot of chatter of what the Los Angeles Lakers might do this offseason but a big focus should be to find some more 3-point shooting. There should be some intriguing options available to the team but it’s going to cost. Danilo Gallinari can leave the Oklahoma City Thunder this offseason and it’s seeming likely he’ll want a change.
While the Lakers really don’t need the size that Gallinari would bring, they’d definitely like his 38% career 3-point shooting. It may be a bit ambitious for Los Angeles to add him, but Dan Favale of Bleacher Report believes the two sides would fit:
Danilo Gallinari’s potential value to the Lakers isn’t up for discussion. He’d be a big-time help.
Shoring up the minutes without LeBron James on the court is at the crux of Gallinari’s utility. He doesn’t add too much as a playmaker, but the Lakers’ half-court offense placed in the 24th percentile of efficiency without its four-time MVP on the court. Adding someone else who can generate his own offense stands to reinvent the returns during those stretches.
ALL the latest Los Angeles Lakers news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Lakers newsletter here!
Sign up for the Heavy on Lakers Newsletter!
Lakers May Have to Do Sign-and-Trade
A Lakers-Gallinari pairing makes a lot of sense for both sides. The veteran forward wants to play for a winner and Los Angeles needs shooting. The problem is that Gallinari is worth a good chunk of money and the Lakers don’t have a ton of cap space. Favale believes a sign-and-trade might be necessary:
Sign-and-trade scenarios will be the Lakers’ bread and butter if Gallinari’s market exceeds the MLE. They require Oklahoma City’s cooperation, but that’s not a huge ask. The alternative would be losing Gallinari for nothing, and Los Angeles has expiring deals to send out in return.
One thing the Lakers could do is to send Danny Green and change to the Thunder for Gallinari. Oklahoma City is headed for a rebuild and would be better off getting something for Gallinari than nothing. Moving on from Green might be the only way that they’d be able to get the sharpshooter.
Gallinari to Walk if Thunder Trade Chris Paul
Gallinari is 32 now and has spent a lot of years playing basketball. He’s only got so much time as left as a key contributor on a team. Despite his long stint in the NBA, Gallinari has yet to win a championship. Time is running out and he’s not going to want to stick around for a rebuild.
“But opposing teams expect Gallinari to end up on a contender if the Thunder trade Paul,” Ian Begley of SNY reported. “Per sources, some with the [Dallas] Mavericks have interest in pursuing Gallinari. The Mavs reportedly also want to conserve cap space for the summer of 2021. So the franchise would have to weigh that factor in any offers it makes to Gallinari.”
Gallinari will get a lot of interest around the league but the Lakers would give him his best shot at winning a title. That’s going to give them an advantage if he finds a lot of suitors this offseason.