The league wants to give fans (and players) their summers back. Starting the new season before Christmas would probably enable N.B.A. players to participate in the Tokyo Olympics in July 2021. And several of the league’s top international players, such as Italy’s Danilo Gallinari, Marco Belinelli and Nicolo Melli and France’s Evan Fournier and Rudy Gobert, have said in recent weeks how important it is to them.
Danilo Gallinari Rumors
All NBA Players
Position: F
Born: 08/08/88
Height: 6-10 / 2.08
Weight:225 lbs. / 102.1 kg.
Salary: $22,615,559
Born: 08/08/88
Height: 6-10 / 2.08
Weight:225 lbs. / 102.1 kg.
Salary: $22,615,559
Danilo Gallinari has set the benefit of his family as a priority for the upcoming NBA free agency. The Italian forward is expecting his first child and this is a major factor that will weigh in when he chooses his next career destination. “Well, I think that the best decision is the best decision for me and my family,” Gallinari said in the “Truth and Basketball with George Karl” podcast. “As I told you guys, I have a kid on the way, my first one. So the decisions are going to be made by altogether. I think the best is looking at everything. I’m not saying I’m just going to go to teams that are going to fight for the championship because I don’t know if they are going to call me.”
Gallinari was also asked about Luka Doncic, a fellow European who emerged as a true star lat season in the NBA. “I really like his game,” Gallinari said. “I didn’t expect him to be so good [coming] right from Europe, but he’s pretty amazing. By the way, since we are talking about me being an underrated defender like coach [Karl] says. This year in OKC we won at home against Dallas with me stealing the ball from Doncic. Just so you guys know.”
Danilo Gallinari: I'd love to spend some more time in OKC
Looking ahead to free agency, when they let go of Billy, does anything like that affect your decision of whether you could return to OKC in free agency? What do you think about the possibility of coming back to OKC next year? Danilo Gallinari: I would consider it for sure. I think as a player when you have such a great time with the team, and you go through what we’ve been through this season living this amazing miracle season, of course, I’d love to run it back and spend some more time in OKC. When you have this winning season, you always want to be on a winning team, and so, of course, I’d consider it. I think not just Billy, but also Sam, everything started with Sam. I thought Sam did a great job of building that team and also being on the same page as the players. He’s a guy that you can talk to him every day, and he was a guy that was very honest with me since the beginning of the season. I have a great relationship with him too.
When you get towards free agency, what are you looking for from whichever team you end up signing with? What’s on your checklist as a free agent? Danilo Gallinari: I think the best thing about free agency is that, especially in my situation, you have to look at everything. The part I love is that I have the chance to look at everything. Honestly, I don’t have one direction or one thing that I’m looking at. In your career, you can’t be a free agent every year. When it happens, for me, it’s this summer, I want to take my time and look at everything.
This is a chance for you in your early 30s to get a big contract, whether it’s long- or short-term. Are you looking to lock up something long-term coming off the past two healthiest seasons in your career? Danilo Gallinari: That’s definitely a thought. At the same time, because we don’t know and nobody knows the dates, how it’s going to look, and what’s going to happen next season, the long-term is an option, but everything is an option. Of course, the long-term is very good, but at the same time, because of the uncertainty we’re living in, I want to see everything that’s going on.
During your career to this point, some people have labeled you as injury-prone, but over the past two seasons, you’ve played more games than guys like Paul George, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Kawhi Leonard, to name a few. What do you say to people who consider you injury-prone at this point in your career? Danilo Gallinari: I don’t understand why they do that. Honestly, a huge problem was when I first came into the league as a rookie. I had back surgery, which was a big injury right away. When you come from Europe, and you have to show who you are right away, you get injured and get that stereotype on your shoulders. That was the beginning. But honestly, in my career, I’ve had small injuries that everyone has. I only had two big injuries, which was the back my first year and the ACL back in 2013 when I was in Denver. I honestly don’t understand why I have this injury-prone stigma on my shoulders, but it’s just not true. It’s not facts. The facts are different. I’m very healthy, and I’ve been playing seasons with no problems playing almost every game. Most of the games I didn’t play is because it was a team decision to rest and not being injured.
