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Once he clears waivers, Danilo Gallinari is expected to join the Boston Celtics on a two-year, $13 million deal with the taxpayer mid-level exception. Gallinari was paid $20,475,000 last season, so getting that contract from the Celtics will be a substantial pay cut. However, according to Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe, Gallinari chose the Celtics not so much for the money, but for a chance at an NBA title.
On Thursday, according to a league source, (Gallinari) told those close to him that the only thing that could truly change his career at this point is an NBA championship ring. He said that was his lone goal and motivation.
So even though the Celtics will be unable to offer as much as other potential suitors, a league source said, the fact that they fell just two wins short of an NBA title two weeks ago will make them too good to pass up.
Himmelsbach reported that the Chicago Bulls were also interested in Gallinari. Gallinari has familiarity with Chicago’s Head Coach Billy Donovan and they had more money to offer than Boston, but Gallinari’s main priority of winning geared him towards Boston.
Gallinari was reportedly receiving strong interest from the Bulls. Chicago could offer a bit more money than Boston can, and the team is led by Gallinari’s former coach with the Thunder, Billy Donovan. But Boston is clearly closer to being an NBA championship team, and that appears to be what Gallinari is truly seeking.
Celtics Had Previous Interest in Acquiring Gallinari
According to Himmelsbach, former Head of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge was a fan of Gallinari’s. Since 2017, the team had Gallinari in their plans in case their offseason’s Plan A did not work out.
Gallinari was a longtime favorite of former Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge. According to league sources, if Gordon Hayward had not signed with Boston in 2017, Gallinari likely would have ended up with the Celtics. Then when Hayward went to the Hornets via sign-and-trade in 2020, there was some discussion about acquiring Gallinari from the Thunder using the team’s newly created $28.5 million trade exception, sources said.
It goes back further than that too. The Celtics were interested in trading for Gallinari back in 2015 back when he played for the Denver Nuggets, according to Heavy’s Steve Bulpett.
Gallinari would go on to sign an extension with the Nuggets that summer instead.
Gallinari Wants to Retire a Celtic
Himmelsbach reports that Gallinari hopes to end his NBA career with the Celtics.
A league source said Friday that Gallinari is hopeful he will be able to finish his career as a Celtic
Gallinari will turn 34 years old on August 8. His contract with the Celtics will have a player option after the 2022-23 season concludes. There’s no telling how many years he has left playing in the NBA.
Of course, plans can change. Kyrie Irving once strongly implied that he wanted to retire with the Celtics when he made a commercial with his father back in 2018 where he said, “He’s the reason I wear number 11, and I want to be the reason why no one else will.”
Now we know that won’t be the case. It could be different in Gallinari’s case though.
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