Grading all of the Atlanta Hawks moves this offseason
Danilo Gallinari: 3 years, $61.5 million
The Atlanta Hawks acquired Danilo Gallinari and cash considerations in a sign-and-trade with the OKC Thunder in exchange for a conditional 2025 second-round pick.
Gallinari has proven to be a prolific scorer and shot creator over his 12-year career. The 6’10” do-it-all hybrid forward possesses one of the most lethal shots in the entire league. According to Synergy, Gallinari ranked in the 93rd percentile averaging 1.142 points per possession (PPP) last season.
Gallo averaged 18.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.9 assists per game on eye-popping shooting splits of .438/.405/.893. One of the more efficient scorers in the NBA, his 61.2 True Shooting percentage (TS) last season was well above the league average (56.5 percent).
A career 38 percent 3-point shooter, the addition of Gallinari is a huge boost for the Hawks’ offense that ranked dead last in 3-point percentage last year. Last season he connected on 40.5 percent of his 3-pointers with the Thunder, on a career-high 7.1 attempts per game.
While the terms of the contract weren’t disclosed per team policy, Schlenk mentioned in a zoom meeting with season ticket holders that the contract’s third year is not fully guaranteed. In that same meeting, Schlenk stated that Gallinari was brought in to be John Collins’ backup.
Committing an average annual salary of $20.5 million to a back-up player who hasn’t appeared in more than 68 games in a season this decade is a risky move. Still, Gallinari’s versatility and efficiency on offense and veteran leadership in the locker room made this a risk worth taking for the Hawks.
He adds depth to a once razor-thin roster and provides the team with a lethal 3-point threat.