Danilo Gallinari has shot better than 40% from 3-point range in each of the last two seasons.
Atlanta appears ready to take a step up the Eastern Conference ladder. The Hawks announced on Tuesday that they had acquired free agent forward Danilo Gallinari and cash considerations from Oklahoma City in exchange for a conditional 2025 second-round pick in a sign-and-trade transaction.
“Danilo checks a lot of boxes for what we have prioritized. We wanted to add productive veterans and high-level shooting to our group and he provides both. At his size, he is one of the league’s most versatile and efficient scorers and he has proven to be the type of veteran you want in your locker room,” said Hawks President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Travis Schlenk.
Blessed for the opportunity.🙏
Ready to get to work, let's go!!#TrueToAtlanta pic.twitter.com/8ZEiYFGovu— DANILO GALLINARI (@gallinari8888) November 25, 2020
The 6-foot-10 sharp-shooting forward will provide an immediate target for All-Star guard Trae Young, who ranked second in the league in assists per game (9.3) last season. Gallinari averaged 18.7 points while shooting 40.5% from 3-point range in his lone season with the Thunder. The 32-year-old Italian has been relatively healthy in each of the last two seasons after an initially injury-riddled career.
Gallinari adds an immediate veteran presence to a Hawks team that often featured a full starting lineup of players younger than 25 years. And though Young achieved All-Star status in just his second year in the league, Atlanta failed to win at least 30% of its games for the second time in the last three seasons.
The Hawks have also signed restricted free agent swingman Bogdan Bogdanovic to a four-year, $72-million offer deal after the Kings declined to match their restricted free agent offer sheet. They also added Rajon Rondo and Kris Dunn in the offseason as well.
Adding Bogdanovic, Gallinari, Rondo, Dunn and rookie Onyeka Okongwu to a promising core of Young, John Collins, De’Andre Hunter, Kevin Huerter and Cam Reddish — all first-round picks the previous three years — suddenly makes the Hawks one of the Eastern Conference’s most intriguing teams.
Schlenk appears to have addressed the squad’s three biggest shortcomings: defense, 3-point shooting and depth.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
