Oklahoma City Thunder small forward Danilo Gallinari becomes an unrestricted free agent this offseason and some people within the Dallas Mavericks organization have interest in pursuing him, per Ian Begley of SNY.
If the Thunder trade point guard Chris Paul, the expectation is that general manager Sam Presti will let Gallinari walk in free agency.
The Mavs need a third dynamic scorer on the team next to Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis and Gallinari certainly fits that bill.
Per sources, some with the Mavericks have interest in pursuing Danilo Gallinari. The Mavs reportedly also want to conserve cap space for the summer of 2021. So the franchise would have to weigh that factor in any offers it makes to Gallinari.
During the 2019-20 season, Gallinari averaged 18.7 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game while shooting 43.8 percent from the field, 40.5 percent from beyond the arc and 89.3 percent from the free throw line. That's the type of production the Mavs need from the small forward spot if they want to compete for a championship.
The Mavs lost to the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round of the 2020 playoffs in six games at Walt Disney World in the NBA bubble. Doncic is expected to be in the MVP conversation next season, while Porzingis should be ready for the start of the campaign after undergoing knee surgery.
If Gallinari is there for the taking, the Mavs should sign him. He's a career 38.0 percent shooter from deep and would fit in perfectly with Dallas' offense.