Report: Ainge favorite Danilo Gallinari will be UFA

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Add Danilo Gallinari to the list of UFA’s available this offseason:

Denver Nuggets forward Danilo Gallinari intends to pass on the $16.1 million player option on his 2017-18 contract and become an unrestricted free agent this summer, league sources told The Vertical.

Gallinari will become one of the top available forwards in the July marketplace, but league sources say that he remains open to the possibility of returning to the Nuggets on a long-term deal.

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For Gallinari, 28, the move into free agency gives him a chance to lock in the security of a multiyear contract. Gallinari was a significant part of Denver’s push for the Western Conference playoffs in 2016-17, averaging 18.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists this season. Gallinari averaged 19.5 points in the 2015-16 season.

After a knee injury and surgery that cost him the 2013-14 season, Gallinari has re-established the durability of his knee in the past two seasons and possesses a 3-point acumen that makes him a desired commodity in free agency.

If the Celtics whiff on Gordon Hayward, do they consider Gallinari? I’m assuming he’ll be looking for a deal with an AAV of $20 million.

While I’d love to see Gallinari draining 3s in green, I’m not sure about the fit with the current core. How does he fit with Crowder? And what about the gaping hole at center?

I was also reminded another option in free agency might be using the room to extend Isaiah Thomas’ contract.

So many options…

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