Celtics' Danilo Gallinari Exercises Player Option for 2023-24 Season

Danilo Gallinari takes a step toward playing for the team he grew up loving. But there's no guarantee he's a Celtic next season.

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On the heels of an NBA Finals run and coming within two wins of Banner 18, the Celtics made two significant additions to their rotation. They acquired Malcolm Brogdon in a trade with the Pacers and signed free agent Danilo Gallinari.

The latter, a 13-year veteran, had spent the last two seasons with the Hawks and helped them reach the Eastern Conference Finals in 2020-21. Boston anticipated him providing a reliable kick-out option and savvy scoring in the low post, boosting offensive production from the second unit.

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Unfortunately, an ACL tear while suiting up for the Italian National Team for a FIBA World Cup Qualifier prevented Gallinari from playing for the team he fell in love with as a kid, watching on television with his father as Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish build a dynasty in the 80s.

But after missing the 2022-23 campaign, the six-foot-ten forward took a step toward suiting up for the Celtics, exercising his $6.8 million player option, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

While that move was the expectation, it's less clear whether Boston will keep Gallinari or trade him, either to shed salary or as part of a package to, in the organization's mind, upgrade the rotation.

If he spends his age-35 season with the Celtics, given his size, basketball IQ, and style of play, there's good reason to believe he provides what the franchise signed him for.

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