Toronto Raptors reportedly negotiating trade for Danilo Gallinari

A trade framework is reportedly in place which would see Danilo Gallinari end up in Southern Ontario, but would it represent a good move by the Toronto Raptors?

With Thursday’s NBA trade deadline nearly upon us, time is running out for the Toronto Raptors to make a move and strengthen their roster. According to the latest news however, such a move is reportedly in the works.

As per Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, there is a trade framework in place, which would see the Raptors acquire Danilo Gallinari from the Atlanta Hawks. In return, Goran Dragic would move to Georgia.

Assuming this trade becomes a reality, there is a lot to like about the deal. For a start, the Raptors would get rid of someone who doesn’t want to be in Toronto and has only played five regular season games for them.

Next, Gallinari would fit the Raptors’ need to improve the quality and depth of their frontcourt. Further in respect of depth specifically, he would help ease the workload of the starting five; he has averaged 23.2 minutes per contest so far this season.

The 2008 sixth overall draft pick has been a regular starter for the majority of his NBA career. However, he has transitioned well to coming off the bench since being traded to Atlanta in Nov. 2020.

This speaks volumes about Gallinari’s mindset of doing whatever is best for his team and he has embraced his new role as a key bench player. It helps that he is a natural shooter and smart passer, who has an excellent feel for the game.

This season, the 33-year-old is averaging 10.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 0.5 steals in 43 games. He has an efficient 42.1 field goal shooting percentage, which includes 38.7 percent from long range.

As much as this would be a good trade for the Raptors, it is only fair to point out the negatives. First up, Gallinari isn’t the best of defenders, particularly in one-on-one situations.

The second challenge is the Italian’s issues with durability, as evidenced by averaging just 47 games per season in the eight campaigns prior to the current one. Still, the pros outweigh the cons if the trade goes ahead.

Gallinari is under contract for the remainder of this season and next. He has a cap hit of $20.475 million and $21.45 million respectively. By comparison, Dragic’s expiring contract has a cap hit of $19.44 million.

As per Sports Illustrated‘s Aaron Rose, this means the Raptors would need to add a little more salary to the deal to avoid paying into the luxury tax. Overall though, this looks like a deal which is worthwhile for a Raptors team which is already well-placed in the Eastern Conference standings.

What is your opinion of Gallinari? Do you believe he is a good fit for the Toronto Raptors, or would you focus elsewhere? Let us know in the comments section below.