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The Miami Heat have expressed interest in Oklahoma City Thunder forward Danilo Gallinari, according to ESPN's Zach Lowe.
The Heat are a surprising 33-15 on the season, but they're looking to upgrade their roster to better contend with the likes of the Milwaukee Bucks and the other terrific squads at the top of the Eastern Conference. Miami would love to get its hands on Jrue Holiday, but that's looking unlikely at the moment.
Gallinari has been one of the keen options teams have observed at the power forward position, coming at a slightly cheaper rate than Cleveland Cavaliers star Kevin Love.
Unlike Love, Gallinari is a role player who excels at his craft, averaging 19.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game this season. He has proven an absolute sniper the past couple of seasons, burying 43.3% of his 3-pointers in 2018-19 and 41.0% this season — the two highest marks of his career since a short sample rookie season (44.4% through 28 games).
Gallo is a terrific stretch-4 option, one who has recently become an improved defender despite his lack of athleticism. He's making $22.6 million in the final season of his contract.
The Heat could use a shooter of Danilo Gallinari's caliber to give them more depth, likely pushing Duncan Robinson or Meyers Leonard into a bench role. Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo have established themselves as the stars in Miami, bolstered by a collection of stellar young pieces, but the club could still use that extra firepower.
