Shapiro, Sports Illustrated, Danilo Gallinari one of the Most to Gain When Season Resumes

Michale Shapiro from Inside The Rockets says Danilo Gallinari is one of the players with the most to gain when the season resumes. We'll tell you why he is not the only player on the Thunder's roster with a lot to gain.

The Summer of 2020 was supposed to be one of the biggest in Danilo Gallinari's career. But, COVID-19, a league shutdown, and decreasing salary cap, means Gallinari likely won't receive a max contract when his number is called. 

Despite this fall not being the ideal time to be an NBA free agent, Gallinari still has a lot to play for when the season resumes. Michael Shapiro of Inside, The Rockets, says, "The 6'10" forward appears to be aging like a fine Chardonnay as he approaches his age-32 season."

Which players have the most riding on the 2020 NBA playoffs? @mshap2 breaks it down https://t.co/pLMYZDPMEM

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) June 21, 2020

"Gallinari has averaged over 18 points per game in four of the last five seasons, and he's crossed 40% from three in each of the last two years."..." He's a legitimate 6'10" with a smooth release, and he's more agile off the bounce than one would expect."

"Gallinari may be a defensive liability, but the right scheme can hide even the most egregious wing defenders.".. "Expect a playoff team (perhaps even Oklahoma City) to shell out major dollars if Gallinari continues his impressive season."

Gallinari is making over $22,000,000 this season. While in some ways that seems like a bargain for the Thunder's second-leading scorer Sam Presti and Clay Bennett won't want to give that kind of cash for someone over 30. 

I have speculated that if Oklahoma City could get him in the 16-17 million range, they might be willing to ink him for another season with a player option. Whatever happens with Gallinari, the Thunder has most likely made up their mind as to what direction they are going.  

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— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) June 19, 2020

A run to the conference finals may alter Presti's thinking. But for the Thunder to accomplish such a feat, they would have to get past the Lakers or Clippers, which is a tall task. 

In our opinion, Andre Roberson has more to gain than any player in the NBA. His days with Oklahoma City could be behind him.  However, if he could play between 17-20 minutes a night, that might be enough for a team to bite.

After being out for over two seasons to come back and play at an NBA level would be nothing short of miraculous. 

Presti says, "I think it's clear that if we're able to get him back, he's a winning player, so he will help us if we can."..." But we also have to kind of ease our way into that to get the answers that you're asking.