NBA Veteran Danilo Gallinari Announces Retirement After 16 Seasons

Danilo Gallinari is retiring from basketball, he announced on Tuesday. | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

Longtime NBA forward Danilo Gallinari is retiring from basketball, he announced on Tuesday.

Gallinari, 37, played 16 seasons in the NBA. He was drafted sixth by the Knicks in the 2008 draft and would suit up for nine teams over the course of his career. One of Gallinari’s biggest claims to fame is that he was a centerpiece of the Carmelo Anthony trade package that sent the superstar scorer from Denver to New York.

“Today, with a heart full of gratitude, I am announcing my retirement from the career I’ve always dreamed of,” Gallinari wrote on social media. “It’s been an incredible journey filled with countless memories that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.”

Today, with a heart full of gratitude, I am announcing my retirement from the career I’ve always dreamed of.  

It’s been an incredible journey filled with countless memories that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. 🏀❤️ pic.twitter.com/UjRhTL8ZdP

— DANILO GALLINARI (@gallinari8888) December 2, 2025

Gallinari played 777 games in the NBA. For his career he averaged 14.9 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. The forward is the second-highest drafted Italian player of all time, behind only Andrea Bargnani.

Gallinari most recently played for the Bucks at the NBA level in the 2023-24 season. He appeared in 17 games for Milwaukee before the team was eliminated in the first round of the postseason.

Outside the NBA, Gallinari played for several years professionally in Italy before making the jump to the United States. After he went unsigned in the 2024 offseason he signed with the Vaqueros de Bayamón of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional Puerto Rican league; Gallinari led his team to a title and was named Finals MVP.

A long and fruitful NBA career comes to an end.

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