Should the Atlanta Hawks Sign Danilo Gallinari?

The Hawks will be in the market for key additions to the team when free agency gets underway on July 2nd, that is, if Paul Millsap departs for a new destination.

One potential target would be sharp shooting small forward Danilo Gallinari.

The 28 year old Italian swingman Danilo Galinari recently opted out of the final year of his contract with the Denver Nuggets, worth just over $21 million.

The 6’10” veteran forward had one of his best seasons during the 2016-17 season, posting averages of 18.5 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. He set career highs in efficiency from the field as well, connecting on 44.7 percent of his two’s and 38.5 percent from long distance.

There are other free agents that would help Atlanta come closer to competing with the Cavaliers and Celtics of the East, but the likelihood of those names coming to Atlanta is simply unlikely.

Star players like Blake Griffin and Gordon Hayward should be on General Manager Travis Schlenk’s wishlist, however there is a tier of names for the Hawks to consider that would be more realistic.

Nov 3, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (24) is defended by Denver Nuggets forward Danillo Gallinari (8)at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /

Danilo Gallinari is among the crop of prospective ballers whom the franchise likely could afford. For those not particularly familiar with his career, he was part of the multitude of players the New York Knicks shipped to Denver to get Carmelo Anthony under the bright lights of Madison Square Garden ages ago. While the blockbuster trade hasn’t been too rewarding for either of those clubs, Galinari has started to produce at a high level in most recent seasons.

He reached a career high in scoring during the 2015-16 campaign, with 19.8 points per game. With a knack for scoring from the perimeter, Gallinari offers a vast array of skills offensively the Hawks could have troubles resisting. His height and length does hold significant value defensively at the small forward position as well.

There aren’t too many other players in the league that would be more sufficient for coach Mike Budenholzer’s playbook than Danilo Gallinari is. He hits three pointers on a regular basis, not to mention he is outlandishly athletic and mobile.

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There are a few problems regarding this sort of idea, when you observe where the Hawks are with their current roster. For starters, he probably wouldn’t propel the Hawks any higher up the standings than Paul Millsap has been able to. As impressive as his game is, it’s difficult to call him a true difference maker for any NBA franchise. Signing him would also use up a mass amount of the Hawks’ cap space too.

Apr 1, 2017; Chicago, IL, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Taurean Prince (12) goes to the basket against the Chicago Bulls during the second half at the United Center. The Bulls won 106-104. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports /

Another worrisome aspect of a potential Gallinari signing, would be where that would leave young stud Taurean Prince in that scenario. Galinari could log a few minutes at power forward, but he is much better served as a small forward. That is of course, the same position that Prince plays. After working his way into the starting lineup at the end of this past season, moving him back to the bench isnt the most reasonable solution.

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Stunting the growth of Prince isn’t something Atlanta would like to do, especially after he played so well in the teams winning streak to close out the regular season. The Hawks hope he rapidly molds into a star under the tutelage and development of their staff. With all that in mind, Danilo Gallinari joining the Hawks becomes less of a possibility.