Veteran NBA forward Danilo Gallinari has a new team, announcing (via Twitter) that he has reached an agreement to join Vaqueros de Bayamón in Puerto Rico.
In a follow-up tweet, Gallinari suggests the deal includes the ability to opt out in the event of an NBA opportunity.
The No. 6 overall pick in the 2008 draft, Gallinari appeared in 777 total NBA regular season games for eight teams from 2008-24. He began his career with the Knicks before being sent to the Nuggets in the Carmelo Anthony blockbuster at the 2011 trade deadline.
While many of his best seasons came in Denver, where he averaged 16.2 points per game in over 300 regular season appearances, Gallinari later had productive years for the Clippers, Thunder, and Hawks as well. In 2023/24, after recovering from an ACL tear, the 6’10” forward spent time with the Wizards, Pistons, and Bucks, getting into 49 total games.
Gallinari, who is 36 years old and saw his mobility hampered following the ACL injury, went unsigned this past summer and may have played in his last NBA game.
A former Italian League MVP who has represented his home country in previous international competitions, Gallinari added in a third tweet that he’s “ready to wear the Italian jersey for one last great European adventure” and hopes for a “great ending.”
As BasketNews.com observes, while Gallinari didn’t say it outright, those remarks suggest he may be considering retiring after suiting up for the Italian national team one more time in the 2025 EuroBasket tournament.
This guy has had some serious battles, specifically vs Dennis Schroeder, at the EuroBasket tournament & it’s cool that he has 1 more left in him. Italy gonna have shooters like they always do but they’re gonna have big issues trying to stop guys like Luka/Franz… link to m.youtube.com
Hope he’s healthy. Brings shooting. He could get picked up. Was a Knicks pick. Not much D. I don’t see Thibs taking him.