The Atlanta Hawks are signing Danilo Gallinari to a three-year, $61.5 million contract, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, who reports it's the most expensive contract ever given to a player over 30 who has never made an All-Star team. Atlanta's desperation is what made such a deal possible. The Hawks are reportedly making an aggressive push for the postseason despite the youth of their roster. Adding Gallinari, one of the NBA's best shooters, should help them do so.
The Hawks probably aren't done from there. They entered the offseason with more than $44 million in cap space, and still have around half of it left to work with. Bogdan Bogdanovic, Joe Harris and Rajon Rondo are presumed targets. All three are offensive-minded players. So is Gallinari. The Hawks finished 28th in defense last season, and while their offense struggled as well, that primarily came when Trae Young went to the bench. A steadier backup point guard would fix that. The defensive issues are a bit more complex.
They drafted Onyeka Okongwu at No. 6 overall in Wednesday's NBA Draft, and acquired Clint Capela at the trade deadline. With Gallinari likely playing power forward as well, it's worth questioning whether power forward John Collins might be available. He is eligible for a contract extension this offseason, and based on his offensive production, it would likely be an expensive one.
For now, the directive seems to be adding talent. Atlanta's ownership group appears hell bent on a playoff push, and franchise player Young reportedly grew frustrated with last season's losing. Giving Gallinari three years at his age might not make much sense for their championship timeline, but it will at least make the Hawks a significantly better team next season.
