The Celtics finally landed Danilo Gallinari in a free agent signing last summer after the franchise has been longing for him for years now. Unfortunately, Gallinari wasn’t able to take the court for the Celtics due to a torn ACL he received from playing for Italy in the FIBA World Cup qualifier after he signed with Boston.

The signing was huge for Boston, who desperately needed a 3-point specialist and a veteran presence off the bench after struggling in those regards down the stretch and into the Finals in 2021-22. For what it’s worth, signing Gallinari was the right decision by the Celtics at the time.

Gallinari will likely pick up his player option by the June 20 deadline worth $6.8 million. This shouldn’t be a surprise, as Gallinari didn’t play one minute in 2022-23 and Boston still needs a veteran shooter to come off the bench next season.

For Boston to keep their core intact, Gallinari could be used in a trade to match salaries. The trade can happen this summer or by the deadline midseason but it’s definitely an option the Celtics can use.

Gallinari spent the entire season rehabbing with the hopes of making a return to the court and debuting for his favorite childhood team in the Celtics. As it’s something the veteran has gone through before, he knows what goes into rehabilitation to return from an ACL tear. 

There’s no way to gauge if Gallinari is ready to play in an NBA game just yet. But he did share various progression videos throughout the season of his workouts and doing shooting drills, showing that he can still move well and is dedicated to returning to the court. 

The Celtics are in an odd position to start out their summer in regards to the roster. It’s unknown what the plans are for Grant Williams, what the future is for Payton Pritchard, and if they’re going to at least offer Jaylen Brown a supermax contract, which has an implication on a large majority of the rest of the roster. 

It’s worth mentioning that Gallinari could play again for Italy this summer in the FIBA World Cup despite not playing for Boston this season, as he says.

“I think every summer, every competition is as important for me to play with the national team. I am looking forward to it.”

It could be both good and bad for the Celtics to see Gallinari play in this Olympic tournament.

On one hand, it gives Gallinari some time to play and adapt back to the competitive environment of a basketball court. But, on the other hand, he could get himself injured or make himself unreadable for Boston later on down the road.

The June 20 deadline for Gallinari’s player option is just nine days before the NBA Draft. 

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