NBA rumors: Suns linked to another veteran in buyout market after signing Thaddeus Young

Shortly after landing veteran big man Thaddeus Young, the Phoenix Suns quickly emerged as suitors for another veteran who has become available in the buyout market.

According to Duane Rankin, a Suns insider for The Arizona Republic, Phoenix has also shown interest in forward Danilo Gallinari.

Gallinari was traded from the Washington Wizards to the Detroit Pistons last month and will now hit the open market after being waived by the Pistons after appearing in six games for the team, per Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press.

NBA Rumors: Phoenix Suns' connection to Danilo Gallinari stems from Devin Booker

Forbes Sports’ Evan Sidery points out that Gallinari played in Italy with Suns All-Star combo guard Devin Booker’s father, Melvin, before taking his talents to the NBA.

The Rooster spent four years playing professional basketball in Italy before being selected as the No. 7 overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks.

A career 38.2 percent shooter from beyond the arc on five attempts per contest, the 14-year veteran wing is a 3-point marksman who can provide a boost to a Suns' rotation that sent out four players in a trade that netted them two forwards ahead of the 2024 NBA Trade Deadline.

Gallinari has appeared in 32 contests this season for the Wizards and Pistons, averaging 7.3 points while shooting 35.5 percent from 3 (his lowest rate since 2014-15) to go with 2.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 14.8 minutes per game,

Sitting at 32-22 and in fifth place in a jam-packed Western Conference playoff picture, the Suns are pulling out all the stops to bolster their roster in preparation for a highly anticipated to secure a top-six seed in the West down the stretch of the season.

If Gallinari and the Suns can reach a deal, he will be playing for his third time in 2023-24 and the eighth franchise of his career.