The Miami Heat could add more players to their roster now that the buyout season has begun. One potential addition is Danilo Gallinari, who the Pistons waived on February 8. However, Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel explained why he believes it would be best for the Heat to avoid Gallinari. “The Heat basically already have Danilo Gallinari in the form of Kevin Love. So, at best, a Gallinari acquisition on the buyout market would be redundant unless you are envisioning Danilo as an emergency fill-in should Love be sidelined. That rarely is what tempts a player to join a team, longshot odds of playing,” Winderman wrote in a story on February 12. In addition to considering Gallinari unnecessary, Winderman also explained why Gallinari wouldn’t have a big role with the Heat.
If not, I don’t see Erik Spoelstra taking on Danilo before Haywood Highsmith or Caleb Martin. Now, if you’re willing to incur the luxury tax and Danilo was willing to serve only as an emergency stand-in, then by all means.
Gallinari was signed by the Celtics in 2022, but he never played for them because of an ACL tear that ended his season. Subsequently, they dealt him to the Wizards in exchange for Kristaps Porzingis.
Danilo Gallinari was a mid-season addition that floated
Gallinari wouldn’t help much, in Winderman’s opinion, but Sports Illustrated’s Anthony Pasciolla outlined the Heat’s case for giving him a chance.
Gallinari, who stands 6-foot-10, demonstrates his ability to make 3-pointers. This season, he is shooting 35.5 percent. The 35-year-old veteran can play well with Jimmy Butler, Haywood Highsmith, Bam Adebayo, and other big men on the Heat roster. Over the course of his 13 seasons, Gallinari has played for seven different teams, giving him experience with a range of teammates and coaches, according to a February 9 story by Pasciolla.
The Heat should seize the chance to bring a seasoned forward into the lineup now that Gallinari is starting to meet with teams.
Since the Pistons waived Gallinari, there have been no reports tying him to the Heat. If it hasn’t already, Gallinari’s market will heat up in the upcoming days.
Danilo Gallinari Is of Interest to Heat Following Celtics Trade
In the past, the Heat have expressed interest in signing Danilo Gallinari. Following his trade to the Wizards by the Celtics, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald revealed that the Heat were considering a possible buyout of him.
“If veteran forward Danilo Gallinari receives an expected buyout from Washington, one league source mentioned him as a Heat possibility,” Jackson wrote in a June 27, 2023
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