Danilo Gallinari Rumors | Hoops Rumors

And-Ones: Wanamaker, Jeanne, Crawford, G League

June 19th, 2018 at 7:36pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Celtics are giving strong consideration to signing Euroleague star Brad Wanamaker, international basketball journalist David Pick tweets. Wanamaker, the MVP of the Turkish finals with Fenerbahce, is a 28-year-old, 6’4” shooting guard who went undrafted in 2011. He has spent most of his pro career overseas, though he had a stint in 2012 with the G League’s Austin Toros. The Magic, Nets, Sixers and Heat have also expressed interest in him, according to Pick. However, Wanamaker has a $3.8MM contract with Barcelona that runs through 2020, so he may stay in Europe, Pick adds in another tweet.

In other news on the domestic and international front:

Jonathan Jeanne, who was diagnosed with Marfan syndrome, has been cleared by his doctor to play, his agent told Sportando. Jeanne, a 7’1” center from France, was considered a potential first-round prospect before the diagnosis was made last June. He went undrafted and now will explore all international possibilities, Sportando adds.
Veteran guard Jamal Crawford is looking for the best fit in free agency after deciding to opt out, he told Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. Crawford insisted he wasn’t unhappy with the Timberwolves, despite leaving $4.5MM on the table. “For me, it’s just fit. I don’t think anything’s wrong (in Minnesota),” Crawford told Krawczynski. “There’s nothing wrong that’s not wrong anywhere else. It’s the NBA. Everybody’s not going to get along every second. That’s not realistic.”
The G League Expansion Draft will be held August 22, tweets 2 Ways & 10 Days. The only team utilizing the draft is the Capital City Go-Go, the new affiliate of the Wizards.
How does a swap of Chander Parsons and the Grizzlies’ picks at No. 4 and No. 32 for the Clippers’ lottery picks at No. 12 and No. 13 plus Danilo Gallinari sound? ESPN’s Insiders throws out a number of trade scenarios heading into the draft.
Longtime NBA coach Larry Brown officially signed his contract to coach Fiat Torino in Italy, Sportando relays.

And-Ones: NBA Africa Game, Global Camp, Upshaw

May 31st, 2018 at 2:08pm CST by Luke Adams

Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan and Sixers center Joel Embiid will headline the rosters in this summer’s NBA Africa Game, the league announced today. The event, which will take place on Saturday, August 4 in Pretoria, South Africa, will feature a Team Africa vs. Team World format, with Cameroon native Embiid heading Team Africa and DeRozan representing Team World.

Joining Embiid on Team Africa will be fellow NBAers Al-Farouq Aminu, Bismack Biyombo, Cheick Diallo, Evan Fournier, Serge Ibaka, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, and Pascal Siakam. DeRozan’s teamates on Team World will include Harrison Barnes, Danilo Gallinari, Rudy Gay, Khris Middleton, and Hassan Whiteside.

Here are a few more odds and ends from across the basketball world:

A total of 40 draft-eligible prospects from outside the United States will take part in the NBA Global Camp 2018 in Treviso, Italy from June 2-5, the NBA announced on Wednesday. While Luka Doncic won’t attend the pre-draft showcase, there will be plenty of prospects worth watching, including Cedevita forward Dzanan Musa, who is the No. 19 prospect on Jonathan Givony’s big board at ESPN.com.
The mother of Zeke Upshaw, the G League player who passed away earlier this year after collapsing during a Grand Rapids Drive game, has filed a federal lawsuit accusing the NBA and the Pistons of negligence. The suit alleges that the defendants failed to provide the Drive with the “the resources, policies, and procedures reasonably necessary” to prevent or handle Upshaw’s collapse. Noah Trister of The Associated Press has the full story and more details.
Now that two-way contracts have been in effect for nearly a full year, Adam Johnson of 2 Ways & 10 Days explores what sort of changes we may see to the rules surrounding those contracts in the future.

Gallinari Says Broken Hand Still Hasn’t Healed

May 10th, 2018 at 9:36am CST by Arthur Hill

Nearly a month after the regular season ended, Clippers forward Danilo Gallinari is still waiting for his broken right hand to fully heal, relays Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Gallinari offered an update on the injury during a recent interview with the Italian website Gazzetta.it.

“My right hand is not healed yet,” he said. “I visited some specialists in the USA and now I will do the same in Italy. I rule out the surgery for the moment, but I have to understand better how to recover.”

Gallinari was sidelined for 18 games after suffering the injury in March. He returned late in the season to try to help with the Clippers’ playoff push, but aggravated the condition during a fall in an April game.

He managed just 21 games in his first season after being traded to L.A. He is signed for about $21.6MM next season and $22.6MM in 2019/20.

Pacific Notes: Thomas, Hayes, Offseason, Gallinari

April 7th, 2018 at 12:03pm CST by marksuleymanov

Isaiah Thomas has returned to Los Angeles to proceed with his post-hip surgery rehab and he remains engaged with the Lakers, Bill Oram of the Orange County Register writes. Even though the soon-to-be free agent may never suit up for the team again, the Lakers will make their facilities available to Thomas for his rehab.

Head coach Luke Walton spoke highly of Thomas and the relationship he maintains with teammates — even teammates who he played with briefly due to injury.

“From what I know of him he’s very team-oriented,” Walton said. “His teammates have always loved him, he loves his teammates.”

Thomas appeared in 17 games with the Lakers, averaging 15.6 PPG and 5.0 APG. A troublesome hip ended Thomas’ season in the playoffs last year and delayed the start of his current season before sidelining him earlier this month.

Check out more Pacific Division notes below:

Nigel Hayes has had an adventurous 2017/18 season, which included a standout year in the G League with two teams, three separate 10-day contracts, and finally, a guaranteed deal with the Kings. As Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee writes, Hayes is excited to join the team and head coach Dave Joerger wants to find playing time for him. “That’s all you can ask for is an opportunity,” Hayes said. “In the talks my agent had with the organization, it was a great place for me to try to showcase what I can do, an opportunity to play in NBA games, play on a team to see what I can do to help contribute to a winning culture.”
In an in-depth piece, Bobby Marks of ESPN Insider (subscription required) looks ahead to the Kings‘ offseason, Marks breaks down the team’s potential free agent targets, draft picks, and salary cap breakdown.
As we relayed earlier this week, the Clippers do not expect to have Danilo Gallinari back during the regular season, which could spell the end of an injury-plagued first season with Los Angeles.

Injury Notes: Gallinari, Ball, Nowitzki, Kanter

April 4th, 2018 at 10:50am CST by Luke Adams

Both Los Angeles teams may be without key players for the rest of the season, according to various reports. For the Clippers, Danilo Gallinari is once again back on the shelf. Having recently returned from an 18-game absence due to a hand injury, Gallinari re-aggravated that hand injury during a fall in Sunday’s game against Indiana.

According to Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times, the Clippers are simply calling Gallinari’s injury a sore right hand for now, and the forward will travel with the club for Thursday’s game in Utah. However, the club doesn’t expect to get Gallinari back during the regular season after his latest setback, Turner says.

Meanwhile, the Lakers will “most likely” be without rookie point guard Lonzo Ball for Wednesday’s game against San Antonio, per head coach Luke Walton. As Bill Oram of The Orange County Register details, Walton acknowledged that a left knee contusion could keep Ball sidelined for the rest of the season. “Could he play?” Walton said. “Probably, but with six games left we’re not going to put him back out there when his knee’s hurting like that. Wait until he’s all the way healthy – if that happens.”

Here are more injury updates from across the NBA:

Knicks head coach Jeff Hornacek isn’t sure whether Enes Kanter – who is dealing with a back injury – will return to the court this season, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. If Kanter doesn’t make it back, it’s possible he has played his last game as a Knick, since he can opt out of his contract this offseason. However, the veteran center is considered a good bet to exercise that option.
Dirk Nowitzki didn’t accompany the Mavericks on their final road trip of the season as he battles a left ankle impingement, per Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. While Nowitzki could still join the team on the road trip or play in the regular season finale in Dallas, the lottery-bound Mavs may play it safe with the franchise icon and hold him out for their final four games. Nowitzki has said he hopes to play one more year in 2018/19.
Nets guard Isaiah Whitehead underwent surgery on Tuesday to repair the scapholunate ligament in his right wrist, the team announced in a press release. The procedure brought Whitehead’s second NBA season to an early end. He appeared in just 16 NBA contests this year after playing 73 in his rookie season.

Pacific Notes: Ingram, Booker, Gallinari, Warriors

March 31st, 2018 at 7:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

Lakers forward Brandon Ingram was diagnosed today with a concussion and has been placed in the league’s concussion protocol, writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. The injury Ingram suffered Friday in Milwaukee was initially believed to be a neck muscle contusion, and preliminary concussion tests came up negative.

Ingram was hit in the neck in the third quarter, but didn’t tell the training staff about his symptoms until overtime, according to Bill Oram of the SoCal News Group (Twitter link).

The Lakers will once again be without the dynamic second-year forward, who was playing his second game after missing 12 in a row with an injured groin. He is averaging 16.1 points in 59 games and shooting .390 from 3-point range.

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

The Suns may have a new coach next season, but Devin Booker places a higher priority on who’s on the court than who’s running the team, relays Scott Bordow of The Arizona Republic. Booker believes coaching won’t be a concern if the talent level is upgraded. “I’ve had three coaches since I’ve been here and I’ve never blamed anything on one of the coaches as an individual,” Booker said. “I’ve had great relationships with all the coaches. I think the NBA just overall, when you need somebody to blame the first person that you go to is the coach. But at the end of the day you need the right players that match each other. Not just the best players. Chemistry helps.”
Booker refused to say if he stands by a statement he made in October that he would sign a five-year, $156MM extension if the Suns offered it this summer, Bordow adds in the same story. “I mean, that’s a whole other discussion,” Booker said. “A lot goes into that. When that time comes I’ll have to make a decision. … I’ve always said this is the place I want to be so if everything works out, yeah.”
Clippers forward Danilo Gallinari still had pain in his right hand as he returned to the court Friday, writes Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. He played 24 minutes and scored 11 points, but played with black tape wrapped around the hand. Gallinari had missed 18 games with a non-displaced fracture. “Listen, he was OK,” coach Doc Rivers said. “He was better in the second half. I thought his rhythm may have upset other rhythms. You never know. We need him, and we’re going to use him.”
Klay Thompson‘s expected return for tonight’s game will result in the Warriors’ 26th different starting lineup of the season, notes Darryl Matsuda of The San Jose Mercury News.

Pacific Notes: Teodosic, Gallinari, Hart, Cook

March 30th, 2018 at 2:40pm CST by Luke Adams

It looks like Milos Teodosic‘s rookie season may be coming to an early end. The Clippers announced today that the point guard suffered a tear of the plantar fascia in his left foot. According to the club, Teodosic will be sidelined “indefinitely” and will be re-evaluated in two weeks.

The Clippers’ playoff hopes remain very much alive — with seven games left to play, the team is only a game behind the Jazz, 1.5 games behind the Timberwolves, and two games back of the Pelicans. Still, if the Clips are unable to sneak into the postseason, Teodosic’s season figures to be over — the regular season comes to an end on April 11, and he’s due to be re-evaluated on April 13.

Here are a few more items from around the Pacific division:

While Teodosic’s season is over, the Clippers will get injured forward Danilo Gallinari back on Friday night, per Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times (Twitter link). Gallinari, the team’s prized 2017 free agent acquisition, has been bothered by injuries all season and has been out since February 22 with a hand issue.
Speaking of hand injuries, Lakers rookie Josh Hart, who underwent surgery on his left hand nearly a month ago, is set to return to action on Friday night as well, according to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN (Twitter link). Hart won’t be on a minutes limit.
Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report takes an early look at the Lakers‘ potential top targets for this summer’s draft and free agent period.
The Warriors haven’t yet approached Quinn Cook about the possibility of converting his two-way contract into an NBA deal, he said on Thursday night (video link). Still, Anthony Slater of The Athletic suggests that move still looks like a “sure thing” to make Cook playoff-eligible. The 25-year-old guard has thrived for the injury-plagued Dubs lately, averaging 20.6 PPG, 5.1 APG, and 4.7 RPG on .547/.526/.800 shooting in his last seven games.

Injury Notes: Smart, Love, Ingram, Wall

March 28th, 2018 at 1:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

Celtics guard Marcus Smart is making progress in rehabbing a torn ligament in his right thumb and hopes to be available for the second round of the playoffs, writes Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe.

A cast on his hand was recently replaced by a splint with an opening at the top that allows him to move his thumb, and he has been able to do some light exercises with the injured digit. Smart tore the ligament earlier this month and underwent surgery March 16. His original prognosis had him out six to eight weeks, which sets a potential return about the time of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

“Definitely right now, that’s what we’re shooting for,” he said. “The way it’s going now, we’re on the right path. Hopefully nothing happens where it gets delayed.”

There are more injury updates from around the NBA:

Kevin Love has been placed in concussion protocol and will miss tonight’s game, the Cavaliers announced on their website. He suffered a front tooth sublexation last night and experienced concussion-like symptoms at halftime.
After missing nearly four weeks with a strained groin, Lakers forward Brandon Ingram expects to return tonight, tweets Mike Bresnahan of Spectrum Sports Net.
Coach Luke Walton says Lakers rookie Josh Hart has looked good in three-on-three games and may be cleared to play Friday, according to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN (Twitter link).
John Wall, who has been sidelined since having arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in late January, may be able to return tomorrow, according to a tweet from the Wizards. Coach Scott Brooks said Wall will participate in the team’s shootaround and a decision will be based on how the knee responds. He is officially listed as questionable.
Clippers forward Danilo Gallinari is targeting Friday to return from a fractured right hand, relays Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. “I hope to play a few minutes against Portland [Friday],” Gallinari said in an interview with Italian outlet Sky Sport. “The hand is not completely healed, but we’ll see how I can help the team in the games left in the regular season. I will try to bite the bullet for the playoff race. The franchise asked me to grit my teeth and play. I will try to do that.”
After re-injuring his right ankle Monday, Celtics forward Marcus Morris will sit out tonight’s game, according to a tweet from the team. He will probably return Saturday, according to Himmelsbach (Twitter link).
Celtics coach Brad Stevens provided an another update on Gordon Hayward, saying he’s still limited to the Alter-G treadmill and hasn’t been cleared to run on the court (Twitter link). “There will be nothing more exciting for him than being able to get back out on the basketball court,” Stevens said (Twitter link).
Cavaliers forward Cedi Osman may be cleared to return to action after a hip flexor injury. He tweeted an image of himself accompanied by the word, “finally.”
Jazz center Tony Bradley has cleared concussion protocol, tweets Eric Woodyard of The Deseret News.

Injury Notes: Gallinari, Celtics, Giannis, Markkanen

March 22nd, 2018 at 2:34pm CST by Luke Adams

Danilo Gallinari, identified this week by head coach Doc Rivers as the player the Clippers have missed the most this season, is targeting Tuesday’s game against Milwaukee for his potential return, according to Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times, who passes along comments Gallinari made to Italian outlet Sky Sport. The veteran forward indicated that he hopes to get back on the court after the Clippers’ current road trip ends, but before the end of this month.

Gallinari, the Clippers’ major free agent addition of 2017, has been limited to 19 games this season as he has battled a variety of injuries. His latest ailment, a right hand fracture, has sidelined him for the last month.

Here are a few more injury notes and updates from around the NBA:

There likely won’t be an update on Kyrie Irving‘s status today, a league source tells Chris Mannix of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Mannix reports that the Celtics should know more within the next day or two about Irving’s ailing left knee. The team did get some good news on Jaylen Brown, who said today that he’s feeling better and hopes to play on Sunday in Sacramento (Twitter link).
Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo left Wednesday’s game against the Clippers with a right ankle sprain. While no recovery timetable has been announced for Antetokounmpo, the Bucks figure to play it safe with their franchise player. He is considered doubtful to play on Friday vs. Chicago, according to the team (Twitter link).
Lauri Markkanen, who last played for the Bulls on March 11, is optimistic about playing in that Friday game against Milwaukee, says K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune (Twitter links). Markkanen, battling a back issue, likely wouldn’t be available on Saturday in Detroit if he plays on Friday, Johnson notes.
Traded from Cleveland to Los Angeles at last month’s deadline, Channing Frye appeared in just one game for the Lakers before undergoing an appendectomy. However, the veteran forward is set to return to action on Thursday night against New Orleans, per Bill Oram of The Southern California News Group (Twitter link).

Pacific Notes: Gallinari, Shumpert, Deng, Suns

March 19th, 2018 at 6:31pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Danilo Gallinari‘s injury-riddled season has been the Clippers’ biggest issue, coach Doc Rivers told Elliott Teaford of the Orange County Register and other media members. Gallinari hasn’t played since February 22nd and has only appeared in 19 games. He was acquired in a deal with the Nuggets last summer with the expectation that he’d solidify the small forward spot. “Overall, of the guys we’ve missed [most], it’s ‘Gallo,’” Rivers said. “It’s not even close.” Hand and gluteus maximus injuries have sidelined Gallinari, who has averaged 15.9 PPG when he’s been able to take the court.

In other news around the Pacific Division:

Kings guard Iman Shumpert will likely opt in to the final year of his contract, according to Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee. Shumpert has a $11MM player option but has only appeared in 14 games this season due to knee and foot injuries, which would depress his value on the open market, Jones opines. He is unlikely to play again this season since the Kings are evaluating their younger players, Jones adds. Shumpert is recovering from plantar fasciitis. Shumpert was part of the multi-team trade that sent George Hill to the Cavaliers at the February deadline.
The Lakers considered tossing veteran forward Luol Deng into the rotation because of injuries but ultimately decided against it, Bill Oram of the Orange County Register reports. Deng has been in limbo all season, getting benched since a 13-minute appearance on opening night. Deng signed a four-year, $72MM free agent contract two summers ago will probably be waived this offseason under the stretch provision, allowing the Lakers to spread his remaining $36MM cap hit over five seasons.
Suns forwards Marquese Chriss and Jared Dudley were fined $25K apiece by the league for an dustup against the Jazz last week, Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports tweets.