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With the NBA Trade Deadline now passed, the buyout season has finally arrived. The Boston Celtics have several options to look at. Former Celtic Danilo Gallinari will hit the free agent market, as reported by The Athletic’s Shams Charania’s X account. When he clears waivers, the Celtics will reportedly be interested in a reunion.
NBC Sports’ Kurt Helin reported the Celtics’ interest in Gallinari, but they’re not alone.
“The Lakers and Celtics are reported to have some level of interest,” Helin reported in a February 9 story.
Helin explained why Gallinari still holds some appeal as a player.
“Shooting never goes out of style. Gallinari doesn’t move all that well anymore, but he can still shoot the rock,” Helin wrote. “That said, they still waived him… This is not a guy teams are picking up to play a big playoff role, but he has a valuable skill that can help teams through the remainder of this regular season.”
Gallinari proved he could still score with the Pistons. He scored 20 points on four-for-four shooting from three in a January 31 loss to the Cavaliers.
The Celtics can legally sign Gallinari after the Wizards traded him to the Pistons.
Lakers ‘Checked in’ on Danilo Gallinari: Report
The Lakers’ interest in Danilo Gallinari is not new information. HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto reported that the Lakers looked into how much Gallinari would cost them at the deadline.
“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 Lakers made no trades at the deadline but evidently still want to add more help from the buyout market. The Lakers may appeal to Gallinari more because they could offer a potentially bigger role than the Celtics. Gallinari may also harbor some hard feelings after the Celtics traded him during the 2023 NBA Offseason.
Thaddeus Young Floated as Celtics Buyout Target
If the Celtics fail to add Danilo Gallinari, NBC Sports Boston’s Darren Hartwell explained why he thinks Thaddeus Young would be worth a flyer for the Celtics.
“The 6-foot-8 Young is built very similarly to (Xavier) Tillman, but he boasts 17 years of NBA experience, including 59 playoff games,” Hartwell wrote in a February 8 story. “If the Celtics are looking for a good locker room presence who can make well-rounded contributions in limited minutes, Young is worth inquiring about.”
The Raptors traded Young to the Nets at the deadline before the Nets waived him. He is among the older players in the NBA at 35 years old and wouldn’t contribute much. Young is not the floor-spacer that Gallinari is, but he provides veteran experience.
If the Celtics added Young, he would not be very high up on their frontcourt’s depth chart. However, Young’s experience and his reputation as a teammate could help the Celtics’ locker room and, by extension, their playoff chances.
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