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Shortly after announcing the addition of Danilo Gallinari, the Boston Celtics‘ off-season plans were thrown out the window, when their sharpshooting forward tore his ACL while playing in the FIBA Eurobasket tournament.
However, on November 7, it was announced that the Celtics are being awarded a $3.29 Disabled Player Exception, as reported by The Athletic’s Shams Charania, which could allow Boston to sign a veteran for the remainder of the season – should they be able to create the required roster space.
Sources: The Boston Celtics have been granted a $3.29 million Disabled Player Exception by the NBA for the loss of Danilo Gallinari. March 10 deadline for the Celtics to use the DPE.
The Celtics Will Likely Wait Until After Trade Deadline
According to CelticsBlog’s Keith Smith, there is a legitimate chance that Boston will wait until after the February trade deadline before using their Disabled Player Exception – if they choose to utilize the exception at all.
Q&A about the Celtics new Disabled Player Exception for Danilo Gallinaro
@KeithSmithNBA breaks down what Boston can and can’t do with their new DPE and what it means and doesn’t mean for Danilo Gallinari t.co/B3o0y7iotk
“The guess here is that the DPE isn’t used anytime soon. Expect Brad Stevens and his staff to see what the roster needs and to keep the DPE around in case it could come in handy around the trade deadline. After the deadline passes, Boston will have a nice chunk of change to offer to a player who works a buyout. This is what happened with Greg Monroe back in 2018…The Celtics can use this to entice a veteran for slightly more than the minimum, assuming ownership is willing to eat that extra tax money. That difference in salary will only grow, as veteran minimum deals do prorate, for both actual salary and cap/tax hit, by the day. Given Boston’s status as a Finals contender, that hopefully won’t be a challenge to add some more money to the payroll, should Stevens find a player he wants to acquire,” Smith wrote on November 7.
With that in mind, Boston will surely be keeping a close eye on both the free agent market and the buyout market as the season progresses, with the hope that a genuine difference-making veteran shakes loose in the coming months.
The Celtics are ‘Unlikely’ to Trade Gallinari
Recently, Heavy on Sports’ NBA Insider Sean Deveney spoke with an Eastern Conference Executive under the condition of anonymity, with the pair touching upon the most logical outcome for Gallinari’s future with the Celtics. According to the executive, Boston will most likely allow the veteran sharpshooter to recover from his current injury issues before re-joining the team’s rotation later this year or in time for next season.
“They can’t trade Gallinari…I mean, they could, but it would hurt their reputations among players and agents. They sign a guy who really wanted to be there, and he gets hurt, so you dump him? That is a bit too cold. They have been smart to play Sam Hauser, but that does not mean they will move Gallinari,” The executive said.
By allowing Gallinari to rehab from his ACL tear, and then fight for a position within the rotation, the Celtics will be showing other potential free agent targets that they’re willing to support them when things don’t go their way, and its moves like that which help a contending team become a ‘destination’ for future big name free agents – and that could be a significant help in the coming years.
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NBA Makes Final Call on Celtics’ Danilo Gallinari Compensation