The Boston Celtics got some frustrating news on Friday with the revelation that Danilo Gallinari’s torn meniscus is actually a tear to the same ACL he tore nine years ago.
This summer, the Celtics did not make major changes to their roster, and they had no reason to after reaching the NBA finals in 2021-2022. However, that did not stop general manager Brad Stevens from still making some low-key impactful additions to the team’s bench. Along with swinging a surprise trade for Indiana Pacers guard Malcolm Brogdon, Boston also signed fourteen-year veteran Danilo Gallinari.
Last week brought the news that the organization’s free agent acquisition would, unfortunately, miss a good bit of time after suffering a meniscus tear while playing for Italy in a FIBA World Cup qualifying game. However, it seems that the injury to the 34-year-old is actually far worse and will likely sideline him for the entire 2022-2023 season.
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On Friday, The Athletic’s Shams Charania — the same NBA insider who originally reported the meniscus tear news — revealed “Galo” has actually incurred a second tear to the ACL in his left knee.
“After receiving further evaluation, Boston’s Danilo Gallinari has been diagnosed with a torn ACL in his left knee, per sources. This is the same ACL that Gallinari tore in 2013.”
Update on Gallinari’s knee injury
What could be next for Boston Celtics with Danilo Gallinari out for the season?
The Celtics gave the well-traveled Italian a two-year, $13.3 million deal in July to give their bench a much-needed scoring boost. With the latest developments in Gallinari’s injury situation, the team must once again address that weakness in their roster.
On Wednesday, it was reported that both the New York Knicks and Celtics were interested in 12-time All-Star Carmelo Anthony. The future Hall-of-Famer has transitioned into a role as a skilled six-man in his last few NBA stops. He would actually be a perfect replacement for Gallinari since both have similar games.
Another option after the Utah Jazz continued their rebuild by trading Donovan Mitchell on Thursday would be Bojan Bogdanovic. The 33-year-old is also on the block and already has garnered interest from the Phoenix Suns. The native of Bosnia and Herzegovina was a key part of getting the Jazz into the playoffs last few seasons and is arguably a notable upgrade over the now-injured Gallinari.