After clearing waivers with the San Antonio Spurs, veteran forward Danilo Gallinari has reportedly found a new home.
Gallinari’s agent told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski that his client has agreed to a two-year, $13.3 million deal with the Boston Celtics that is fully guaranteed and includes a player option.
A 13-year NBA veteran, Gallinari spent the last two seasons playing for the Atlanta Hawks before being traded to San Antonio earlier this offseason as part of the deal that sent Dejounte Murray to Atlanta. The Spurs are a rebuilding team, so it was a foregone conclusion that Gallinari would be better served playing for a contender.
Gallinari appeared in 66 games last season and averaged 11.7 points and 4.7 rebounds while shooting 38.1 percent from three-point range. The 33-year-old had shot over 40 percent from beyond the arc in each of the previous three seasons.
An Italy native who began his career overseas, Gallinari was drafted sixth overall by the New York Knicks in 2008. He has also played for the Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Clippers and Oklahoma City Thunder. Joining the Celtics gives him a strong chance to chase the NBA title that has eluded him throughout his career.
Boston reached the NBA Finals last season but fell to the Golden State Warriors in six games. The Celtics had to get past a difficult slate of Eastern Conference contenders, as they beat the Brooklyn Nets, Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat to advance to the championship series.
The core of Boston remains intact with Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart and Robert Williams III all set to return to make another deep postseason run. The Celtics also acquired point guard Malcolm Brogdon in a trade with the Indiana Pacers. Adding Gallinari to that mix gives Boston a steady shooter who can provide consistent scoring off the bench.
