REPORT: Forward 'Seriously Considered' Cavs Before Signing With Bucks
According to ESPN Senior NBA Insider Adrian Wojnarowski, recently waived forward Danilo Gallinari is signing with the Milwaukee Bucks for the remainder of this season.
However, this was nearly not the case.
According to The Athletic Senior NBA Insider Shams Charania, Gallinari “seriously considered” multiple other teams, including the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The 35-year-old is currently in his 16th NBA season, during which he has averaged 7.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game in a combined 32 games with the Washington Wizards and Detroit Pistons.
According to Stathead, in 19 career games against the Cavaliers, Gallinari has averaged 13.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per contest, while shooting 41.5% from three-point range. He most recently scored a team-high 20 points off the bench for Detroit against the Wine and Gold back on January 31.
Jan 31, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Detroit Pistons forward Danilo Gallinari (12) reacts after a play against Cleveland Cavaliers guard Max Strus (1) in the fourth quarter at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
© David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
A potential reason why the 6-foot-10 forward could have decided against signing with Cleveland is because of the team’s reported message to free agents.
According to Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor, the team has been telling interested free agents that there are no available roles on the team at the moment.
This stance would certainly make sense for the Cavaliers, who also stood pat when the NBA Trade Deadline passed last week. Cleveland is currently one of the NBA’s strongest teams, as it holds the second seed in the Eastern Conference with a 36-17 record.
The Wine and Gold also own the league’s best record since both December 16 (23-5) and January 1 (18-3).
The Cavaliers will look to keep this momentum going after the upcoming NBA All-Star Break, when they host the Orlando Magic on Thursday, February 22 at 7 p.m.
