Ranking Milwaukee Bucks free agents by likelihood to return next season

No. 4 - Danilo Gallinari

It's difficult to imagine a world where Danilo Gallinari returns to the Milwaukee Bucks for another year. Although he showed glimpses of being able to help this team in the postseason, he certainly showed signs of decline coming off an ACL tear. At 35 years old, he's not getting any younger, and the Bucks need to find a way to get younger this off-season rather than continue building around veterans.

The only reason it shouldn't be ruled out entirely is the fact that Doc Rivers, Milwaukee's coach, has a close relationship with the forward. The Athletic's Eric Nehm (subscription required) reported that the idea of reuniting with Rivers was one of the reasons Gallinari opted to sign with the Bucks. If Rivers has any say in free-agent talks, perhaps he could make a pitch for the forward.

Still, it seems like even Rivers understands Milwaukee's need for youth and athleticism this summer, having addressed it in his exit interview with the media. Ultimately, that's the direction the Bucks should go in, as they desperately need to shake up the roster outside of the core and add players who can get out in transition and hustle. Gallinari just isn't that at this stage.