Oklahoma City took the overhaul route following the departure of Russell Westbrook and Paul George. The Thunder's long-term goal is to build a young and competitive roster and while doing so, have been doing well in the league, thus providing the resolve to press on. That is why OKC is ramping up on trade talks that involve the club's core talents.
For interested teams, the message from Thunder is loud and clear - that Chris Paul and Danilo Gallinari can be acquired depending on how juicy the offers will be. It seems OKC is looking to accelerate the rebuild, and no one on the lineup is off-limits.
According to Fadeaway World, it's not lost on the Thunder that both Paul and Gallinari have been impressive so far. The two and other OKC members who have picked up on their games saw rising values, all the more convincing the Oklahoma front office that now is the best time to open up for trade deals.
At the center of anticipated trade proposals is Gallinari, who will be ending his contract that was carried over from the Los Angeles Clippers. The Italian will collect $22.6 million from OKC, and it is unlikely that he'll be given an extension, at least with the same value.
The best option for the Thunder is to offload Gallinari, freeing the team of a huge salary obligation and likely winning prized draft picks from the receiving team. Obviously, the ploy will agree with Oklahoma's ends of building up a more vibrant team that was precipitated by the loss of Westbrook and George last summer.
Per the same report, the sweet-shooting Gallinari has managed to attract a pool of potential suitors, namely the Portland Trail Blazers, Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers, and the Miami Heat. All have been on the hunt for the big man who can shoot from all spots on the floor, and Gallinari fits the requirements.
Incidentally, the Indiana Pacers are also looking, preferably for a big forward that can sink threes with decent accuracy. No doubt, Gallinari answers to the Pacers' most immediate needs.
According to Clutch Points, the 31-year-old veteran is not afraid to take the shots from the beyond the arc. He tends to throw long snipes more than seven times in a game, and nearly half of those attempts led to upward movements on the scoreboard.
"The veteran is proving that he is still one of the most underrated scorers in the NBA today," the report said, adding the Pacers could surely use a dependable shooter like Gallinari.
It is to the benefit of Indiana to sign up Gallinari as he can surely deliver to expectations and push the team's cause in the current campaign.
