Danilo Gallinari's time with the Milwaukee Bucks was so short that many people don't even remember that he suited up for the team. Yet, during the 2023-24 season, he appeared in 20 contests, and it was among his biggest career regrets. He discussed his Bucks tenure in an interview with HoopsHype's Cyro Asseo, revealing that he turned down a better deal to join Milwaukee.
"One of the biggest regrets that I have in my career is the choice that I made to go to Milwaukee for one year instead of signing two years with the Clippers, which I don't know if a lot of people know about. I had the chance to sign two years with the Clippers, and I signed one year with Milwaukee.
So it's probably, when I think about it, the biggest regret; that would probably be the biggest mistake that I made. Any other choice that I did in my career was, I think, great; that choice, contract-wise and team-wise, was probably the biggest mistake."
Gallinari spurning Clippers came back to bite him
Following his exit from Detroit, Gallinari was pondering his options, with Milwaukee and LA standing out as the two likeliest suitors. Both had familiar elements. The forward played with the Clippers from 2017-19, while Milwaukee had Doc Rivers and Patrick Beverley, two figureheads he worked with in his time in LA. He ultimately settled on Milwaukee for a rest of the season deal.
Rivers and Beverley must have been excellent recruiters, especially if Gallinari was willing to turn down another year on his contract to reunite with them. Given how everything played out, it's not shocking at all to hear how much he regrets the move.
Bucks didn't give Gallinari a chance to finish strong
All may have been forgiven if the Milwaukee Bucks actually made some noise after signing Gallinari. Winning could have undoubtedly made the forward forget about that extra year LA had offered him. However, Rivers went just 17-19 after taking over as head coach and the Bucks limped into the NBA Playoffs, where they were struck down by the Indiana Pacers in six games.
Following Milwaukee's early exit, Gallinari was cast off and has not played in the NBA since. His NBA career ending in such a way only amplifies the regret here. Sure, the Clippers were also bounced out in the first round that season, but Gallinari at least would have been back for another year—or made more money from that second season—if he had joined LA.
Gallinari's tenure was a mess. No, not all of it was his fault, as the Milwaukee Bucks were shrouded in controversy that season due to their turmoil at the coaching spot. However, it's not like Gallinari was putting the team on his back every single night. Some thought he could be a nice rotation player, but he ended up just being along for the ride mostly.
Gallinari joins a long list of veterans who came to Milwaukee during the Giannis Antetokounmpo era and never got a shot anywhere else.
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