NBA Trade Rumors: Danilo Gallinari bids farewell to OKC?

Danilo Gallinari has frequently been rumored to be on the NBA trade block over the past few seasons. The 32-year-old Italian forward is one of the best 3-ball shooters in the NBA right now. As a result, it comes as no surprise to hear of many franchises being linked to him in the NBA trade rumors.

Gallinari is a career 38% shooter from beyond the arc, but he has been in significantly better touch in the last two seasons. With the Los Angeles Clippers last season, Gallinari shot the ball from 3-point territory at an incredible 43.3% on 5.5 attempts per game.

This season, he was used as a spot-up shooter by the Oklahoma City Thunder, and he tried 7.1 threes on average per game - a career-high. He made over 40% of them.

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Now that his season with the Thunder is over, Danilo Gallinari heads into the 2020-21 off-season as a free agent. His latest tweet has caused various NBA trade rumors, and if it is anything to go by, he might have played his last game for OKC.

We had a great journey @okcthunder, thank you to all the fans! pic.twitter.com/bzvLdh1KKE

— DANILO GALLINARI (@gallinari8888) September 4, 2020

Gallinari appreciated the fans for their support in his 'journey' with the franchise, which clearly suggests that his future lies somewhere else.

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NBA Trade Rumors: Gallinari to Portland a possibility?

Gallinari would be a good fit with the Blazers

The Portland Trail Blazers have frequently been a part of NBA trade rumors, with many forwards being linked to them in recent years. As strong as their back-court with Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum is, their depth at the small forward and power forward positions is questionable.

Gallinari provides floor spacing that none of their forwards can match, and his perimeter defense has improved significantly of late. He could be the third-scoring option the Blazers have craved for a long time now.

Trevor Ariza is a similar player to Gallinari, but is fast approaching the age of 36

To acquire his services, Portland might have to give up the rights to sign Trevor Ariza and may also need to let Hassan Whiteside walk in free agency to free up the cap space to sign Gallinari from the 2020 pool of free agents.

It most definitely is a risk, but perhaps Portland are better off taking it than not.

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NBA Trade Rumors: Miami Heat a better option for Gallinari?

Pat Riley clearly sees an opportunity to make a run with these Heat: Riley has been working to trade for Memphis' Andre Iguodala AND Oklahoma City's Danilo Gallinari, league sources tell ESPN. Talks are ongoing.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 6, 2020

Another team that could certainly do with a player like Gallinari are the Miami Heat, who are making headlines in the NBA trade rumors. The Heat were slated to make a move to acquire the Italian before the trade deadline this season itself, but despite the many NBA trade rumors, it never came to life.

If Pat Riley's ambitious plan of bringing Giannis Antetokounmpo to Miami fails, Danilo Gallinari won't be a shabby second choice to run power forward. After all, they have shown signs that their young pieces are more than ready to compete on the big stage.

We look forward to bringing you more NBA trade rumors regarding Gallinari's future.

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