The Milwaukee Bucks freed up a roster spot at the 2024 NBA Trade Deadline after Robin Lopez was dealt to the Sacramento Kings.
Since then, fans have speculated who the team could sign with their final roster spot, and it appears a possibility has surfaced. Per the "Pat Bev Pod," hosted by new Bucks combo guard Patrick Beverley, veteran forward Danilo Gallinari will either sign with Milwaukee or the Los Angeles Clippers.
Of course, Beverley also broke his own trade to the Bucks before an insider did, so it seems like he's doubling as an insider these days when he's not on the court.
Milwaukee Bucks newcomer is also an NBA insider, says team could sign veteran big man
Milwaukee's interest in Gallinari makes sense. When the Bucks moved Robin Lopez, they took away their break glass in case of an emergency big man. Now, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Brook Lopez and Bobby Portis are the team's three bigs. They could use another for depth purposes, and Gallinari is likely the best name on the buyout market at this point in time.
Coming off an ACL injury, Gallinari saw the second-fewest minutes on average of his career this year in stints with the Washington Wizards and Detroit Pistons with 14.8 per game. In that time, he was a fine enough contributor, averaging 7.3 points while shooting 35.5 percent from deep, 2.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists per contest across 32 games.
The 6-foot-10 forward has always been known for his scoring and perimeter shooting, two things that could make him a valuable addition to this bench. It's no secret that the Bucks' second unit has had a tough time providing a spark on offense at times, getting outplayed by opposing units. Gallinari may not be the ultimate fix, but he may be able to help to some degree by providing a boost offensively.
It must be noted that Gallinari would not help Milwaukee's defensive issues whatsoever. Even in his younger playing days, he never much of a defender. That could cause some concern for the Bucks, giving them another big man off the bench next to Bobby Portis who isn't strong on that side of the court. Of course, many would love to see Milwaukee add another strong defender to the roster.
In short, this would not be a game-changing signing, but adding Gallinari would give the Bucks a nice veteran with experience to round out the roster. At 35 years old, adding Gallinari would not make the team any younger, but very few options would. It's still up in the air if he will choose Milwaukee, but it would not be surprising to see him link back up with Doc Rivers, who coached him in Los Angeles.
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