Veteran forward Danilo Gallinari has exercised his $6.8 million player option to return to the Boston Celtics for the 2023-2024 season, his agent – Michael Tellem of Excel Sports Management – told Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN on Thursday.
Gallinari signed a two-year, $13.8 million deal with the Celtics last summer in unrestricted free agency. However, he missed the entire 2022-23 season after tearing his left ACL during a FIBA qualifying game in August 2022.
The Celtics were granted a $3.3 million disabled player exception after Gallinari got hurt. Boston won 57 games during the regular season under first-year head coach Joe Mazzulla and reached the Eastern Conference Finals, where the Cs lost to the Miami Heat in seven games.
Gallinari has career averages of 15.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.9 assists while shooting 42.8% from the field, 38.2% from beyond the arc and 87.7% from the free-throw line. The 34-year-old has played for the New York Knicks, Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Clippers, Oklahoma City Thunder and Hawks.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Danilo Gallinari & Boston Celtics Updates
Gallinari put up 11.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists for the Hawks in 2021-22. He has appeared in 48 postseason games with the Nuggets, Clippers, Thunder and Hawks and averaged 13.8 points, 4.6 boards and 1.4 assists.
The Celtics will likely bring Gallinari off the bench next season since they have All-Stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Boston trailed Miami 3-0 in the conference finals before winning three games in a row to force a Game 7.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Danilo Gallinari & Boston Celtics Updates
However, the Celtics lost Game 7 at home and didn’t become the first team in NBA history to win a playoff series after trailing 3-0.
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