Lakers Have ‘Checked In’ on $13 Million Ex-Celtic: Report

When the Boston Celtics trade away their former players, they open the door for the Los Angeles Lakers to trade for them. One former Celtic who is reportedly on the Lakers’ radar is Danilo Gallinari. HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto reported that the Lakers have checked in on Gallinari’s availability.

“Another player rival executives are monitoring is Danilo Gallinari, who’s continued to be a knockdown 3-point shooter while playing minutes at the four and small ball five at times in the final year of his contract. The Lakers are among the teams who’ve checked in on Gallinari’s price tag to acquire him, league sources told HoopsHype,” Scotto wrote in a February 5 story.

The Detroit Pistons acquired Gallinari from the Washington Wizards. Gallinari has seen a bit of a resurgence since going to Detroit. In five games, he’s averaged 10 points while shooting 52.4% from the field and 58.3% from three. The Pistons are 6-43, while Gallinari is in the second year of a two-year, $13 million contract. Playoffs are all but out of the question for them, so Gallinari may very well find a new team

Technically, Gallinari never played for the Celtics despite signing with them in 2022. Tearing his ACL put him out for the 2022-23 season before they traded him to the Wizards the following offseason.

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Celtics Interested in Kelly Olynyk, Among Others: Report

The Lakers aren’t the only team looking for former Celtics like Danilo Gallinari. The Celtics continue to show their interest in Kelly Olynyk. HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto reported that Olynyk is among their targets in that same story.

“Boston has expressed interest in a wide range of trade targets, including Kelly Olynyk, Delon Wright, Andre Drummond, and others, league sources told HoopsHype,” Scotto wrote. “Drummond would fit the parameters of Boston’s current compensation package above, while Olynyk and Wright would likely cost more.”

Scotto added that what the Celtics are willing to trade for upgrades.

“The Celtics are looking to package some of their minimum contract players at the end of the rotation and draft pick compensation to bolster their bench heading into the playoffs, league sources told HoopsHype.”

Olynyk would be expensive, but acquiring him is doable. However, it would require many players to make that deal work.

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Celtics Can Legally Re-Acquire Danilo Gallinari

The Celtics have signaled that they want help. When they traded Danilo Gallinari to the Wizards, the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement prevented them from re-acquiring him for at least a year.

However, that restriction was nullified when the Wizards traded Gallinari to the Pistons. That rule only applies to the most recent team that traded him. Since the Celtics no longer fit that description in Gallinari’s case, they can legally bring him back. They can either trade for him or sign him if the Pistons buy him out.

If the Celtics trade multiple players for someone like Kelly Olynyk, that would open up more roster spots to add someone like Gallinari. However, that would all depend on if the Pistons want to get rid of Gallinari. He’s proven himself productive in Detroit. Even if their season is lost, Gallinari has proven that he helps them.

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