It looks like Danilo Gallinari’s time with the Washington Wizards will be a brief one. The Italian power forward who was acquired by the Wizards as part of the Kristaps Porzingis trade, will be bought out, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo! Sports.
According to Fischer’s reporting, the Wizards and Gallinari are expected to agree on a buyout, making him a free agent who can sign with any team he wants. The 34-year-old sharpshooter is recovering from a torn ACL that saw him miss the entire 2022-23 season. It makes sense for him to want to play for a contending team in this late stage of his career instead of the rebuilding Wizards.
The same article suggests that the front office is actively shopping the veteran guards Delon Wright and Monte Morris. Gallinari’s departure means that the Washington Wizards desperately need size and frontcourt depth, ideally in return for their veteran guards.
There is currently a logjam in the backcourt, even without Wright and Morris. Tyus Jones, Jordan Poole, Bilal Coulibaly, and Johnny Davis are all seeking meaningful minutes in two backcourt positions. At the same time, there is a significant lack of depth in the frontcourt in Washington.
With the departure of Gallinari, the current power forward and center rotation for the Wizards are Deni Avdija, Anthony Gill, Daniel Gafford, and Mike Muscala. Avdija and Gafford are likely to start leaving only two big men left in the rotation. Moreover, Patrick Baldwin Jr can play some minutes at the four, and Tristan Vukcevic can get into the rotation if the Wizards decide to bring him over next season.
This is clearly not an inspiring frontcourt group. There is a lack of versatility. Gafford and Muscala are one-position defenders -more like zero-position- in Muscala’s case. Avdija and Baldwin Jr don’t have the length and strength to play small-ball center. The Wizards need to add some size and versatility to become an interesting two-way group.
The current iteration of the Wizards doesn’t have the capacity to switch on the defensive end or play five-out lineups on the offensive end. Getting a player of Gallinari’s size; a 6’10 frame with a strong build, and ability; a floor-spacer, can be a key piece for Washington’s rotation.
It would be nice to have a small-ball center option to put around Corey Kispert, Deni Avdija, and Bilal Coulibaly, giving the Wizards good positional size and defensive versatility. This should be a priority for Washington’s front office when looking for free agent options or returns for Wright and Morris trades.