The Phoenix Suns have two open roster spots after trading four players in exchange for Royce O’Neale and David Roddy, and Jusuf Nurkić appeared to offer his suggestion on who to bring to the Valley.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Nurkić put on X (formerly Twitter) a post that translate to “Brother” and tagged Danilo Gallinari. Gallinari and Nurkić played with each other on the Denver Nuggets from 2014-17.
Brate @gallinari8888
— Jusuf Nurkić 🇧🇦 (@bosnianbeast27) February 10, 2024
Gallinari was waived by the Detroit Pistons two days ago and could be a great buyout candidate for the Suns as a 6-foot-10 stretch wing.
Devin Booker and Gallinari also have a past friendship that goes way back to when Booker was 12 and Gallinari was 18:
The friendship between Devin Booker and Danilo Gallinari was sparked in the neighborhood gyms of Milan, Italy @NBA2K pic.twitter.com/V7jx1Be9bk
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 28, 2017
The 35-year-old Gallinari has been in the NBA since the 2008-09 season when he was drafted sixth overall by the New York Knicks.
His days in his prime are probably over after he suffered a second ACL tear that kept him out for the entire 2022-23 season. However, prior to this, he averaged over 11 points per game every year since his second season in the league.
This season, he played in 32 games for both the Washington Wizards and the Pistons and averaged 7.3 points and 2.8 rebounds on 45% shooting.
Danilo Gallinari vs. Cleveland Cavaliers (Ranked No. 2 in Def. Efficiency this season) on 01/31/24
20 Points
3 Rebounds
2 Assists
1 Steal
6/8 FG (75%)
4/4 3PT (100%)
4/5 FT (80%)
23mins playedGallinari is expected to begin free-agent meetings on Fridaypic.twitter.com/7JJpkbm5ns
— Dru (@dru_star) February 9, 2024
For his career, Gallinari has played in 760 games, averaging 15.2 points per game and 4.7 rebounds. He is a career 38.2% 3-point shooter.
Gallinari’s resume speaks for itself, but his defensive ability is past him, so he would pretty much be a lengthy spot-up shooter that can drive and dish the ball at this stage of his career. However, his friendship with Nurkić and Booker, as well as his veteran presence would certainly not hurt the Suns.
If he came to Phoenix he would be chasing one thing he doesn’t have in his long career: an NBA Championship.
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Brendan Mau is a senior writer covering the Phoenix Suns and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @Brendan_Mau
