Rumors reveal that the Miami Heat have expressed interest in acquiring veteran forward Danilo Gallinari via trade. The South Beach franchise is having a stellar season thus far, and Gallinari maybe that one piece which can turn the team from a regular-season stud to legitimate title contenders.
However, why should the Heat pull the trigger on a Gallo trade? We take a look at three key reasons!
He is healthy and productive as ever!
One good reason the Heat should gun for Gallinari is that the Italian is having one of the best seasons of his career. In 42 games (42 starts) for the Oklahoma City Thunder, the 31-year-old is averaging 19.2 points (second in the team), 5.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists across 30.6 minutes.
Gallinari has always been a potent scorer since entering the league in 2008. Injuries have prevented him from playing full seasons which subsequently hurt his overall productivity, but so far in the season, he has remained healthy.
Sure enough, the Heat should take advantage of this.
The Heat Actually Need Him
The second reason boils down to the features of Gallinari's game. The guy stands 6-foot-10 and is shooting an impressive 41 percent clip from deep.
One doesn't have to be a basketball expert to say how much stretch-4s have become critical in today's game. Looking at the Heat's roster, they don't have a single big man who has a reliable shooting stroke from deep.
With Gallinari on the floor, it will create tons of space for Jimmy Butler to operate. This will be key if the Heat go deeper into the playoffs. As Spoelstra himself knows, opposing teams will know every single tendency of your players once you head into the later rounds. One way to neutralize this is by letting your superstar take matters into his own hands.
Gallinari is in the last year of his contract
Another reason is the fact that Gallinari is in the final year of his contract. He's making $22.6 million this year.
The perception is that elite teams who have maxed out their cap space have no room to accommodate him. As such, the Thunder may use this as leverage for a possible sign-and-trade deal. However, with a master negotiator like Heat president Pat Riley, the organization can make some tweaks to make the deal possible.
Besides, the Heat may actually want someone like Gallinari for a short-term commitment. In the event that Gallinari meshes well with the Erik Spoelstra system, then they can sign him long term. If not, then the team will still have the flexibility to acquire some big-name free agents in the near future.
There's a good reason why Danilo Gallinari has been involved in every sort of trade rumor out there. Teams have been impressed by what he's done for the Thunder so far. If the Heat can move quickly, then they can add the extremely talented Italian to their roster and bolster their title hopes.
Follow Us
Subscribe