Hawks Report: Timberwolves have been pursuing Danilo Gallinari in the offseason trade market

While the NBA Finals went on, a reporter for the Minnesota Timberwolves dropped some very interesting news regarding the Hawks.

The Minnesota Timberwolves have been pursuing Danilo Gallinari from the Atlanta Hawks in the offseason trade market, sources say.

Gallinari has two years and $42 million remaining on his contract. The second year (2022-23) is partially guaranteed for $5 million.

— Dane Moore (@DaneMooreNBA) July 20, 2021

Gallinari came up with some clutch buckets and was an important part of Atlanta’s Eastern Conference Finals run. He shot over 40% from 3 during the regular season and gave the Hawks 13.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game. In the playoffs, Gallo provided the Hawks more of the same with some extra efficiency and big plays during crunch time. However, if the Hawks wanted to open up some space for a bigger move, moving Gallinari might be required. He has two years and $42 million left on his contract; although, his final season is only partially guaranteed ($5 million).

With John Collins‘ potential massive extension looming and Trae Young‘s Supermax coming next, I could see why the Hawks would be interested in getting away from Gallo’s money. The emergence of Onyeka Okongwu makes things even more complicated. It may come down to the potential return the Hawks would get, and I think draft picks are pretty much out of the question. Malik Beasley or Jarrett Culver seems like a logical piece that could come back in return, depending on how big the trade is. However, with the way Gallinari played last year and the cohesiveness the Hawks showed in 2020-2021, I would be perfectly fine keeping the band together and adding a few veteran bench pieces in free agency.