NBA Rumors: 3 Candidates To Replace Gallinari For Celtics

With newly-acquired Danilo Gallinari essentially out for the season with a torn ACL suffered last month with the Italian National Team, the Boston Celtics are on the lookout for a replacement. 

Gallo was being counted on as a sharpshooting scoring threat off the bench with size. With the Celtics starting their search, let's have a look at three candidates to stand in for the 13-year veteran.

1. Carmelo Anthony

Melo is a ten-time All-Star, and has proven over the past few years that even at his advancing age (now 38), he is still a valuable scorer off the bench. He averaged 13.3 points for the Los Angeles Lakers last season, and shot 37.5% from 3-point land. His two previous years in Portland saw similar, or even better numbers. 

The downside of adding Carmelo would be a defensive drop-off from the Celtics' established style, but there's certainly enough defense elsewhere in the lineup to cover for him. 

2. LaMarcus Aldridge

Another scorer who some felt was ready for the scrap heap a few years back, Aldridge has proven his worth in recent seasons as well. The 7-time All-Star is 37 now, but last season with the Brooklyn Nets he averaged a shade under 13 points with 5.5 rebounds in 22 minutes per game. The 6'11" power forward is still one of the premier mid-range shooters in the game.

3. DeMarcus Cousins

Cousins hasn't been the same dominant player since his devastating Achilles tear in 2018, but he is still a big man who can provide some minutes off the bench. Make no mistake, his M.O. is completely different from Gallinari's, of course. Cousins can bang down low, grab some rebounds (5.6 last season in only 15 minutes per game with the Milwaukee Bucks and Denver Nuggets), and he can still score a bit as well (9 PPG last year).

The Celtics are weighing their options on how to fill Gallinari's spot, and there are a plethora of veteran free agents, many of them multi-time All-Stars, to choose from. 

 Photos: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports, Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports