Danilo Gallinari was a huge contributor for the Los Angeles Clippers this season, but his expiring contract could be a solid trade asset for Jerry West and Co. The Clippers will likely consider trading him and it could be low risk, high reward.
Danilo Gallinari was a solid addition via trade a few years ago for the Clippers.
Despite injuries in his first year, Gallinari entered year two with the want to become the scorer he has been for most of his career and he did just that.
Gallinari averaged 19.8 PPG while grabbing 6.1 RPG, both of which were career highs for the veteran forward.
Those stats are cause to keep the veteran, but the Clippers have their eyes on obtaining two stars in the 2019 offseason and Gallinari’s $21 million expiring deal would not allow the Clippers to have the cap space to do so.
The Clippers will likely explore the option of trading Gallo and here are some possible trade packages they could play with to do so and free up cap space.
Trade One: Gallo Joins Doncic and Porzingis in Dallas
The Mavericks have a unique core at the moment with rookie phenom Luka Doncic and young forward Kristaps Porzingis.
The Mavs had to trade Atlanta their first round pick this season, so adding more young talent won’t be possible during the draft, so Mark Cuban and company get creative and bring in Danilo Gallinari.
This trade works well for both parties. Gallinari’s expiring contract means the Mavs are not stuck with him for the longterm if they don’t want to be and they add a near 20 point scorer to compliment their young core.
Meanwhile the Clippers acquire a young prospect in forward Justin Jackson and future second round picks, all of which could be used to acquire a superstar via trade.
This trade also gets Gallinari’s contract off their books and opens up the cap space to obtain two stars, meaning this trade would likely happen if the Clippers knew two stars were 100-percent coming to play for them.
This trade is very smart for both sides and would likely benefit both parties in a positive light.