Possible reasons Gallinari stays, part 2
Gallinari has never had a player set a screen for him like Steven Adams. The big kiwi takes hit after hit on screens but the result is a wide-open shot. Gallinari is rewarding Adams and the team by hitting on these shots.
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Every shooter in the league appreciates when a screen and roll guy works tirelessly to get his team an open shot. Teammates love these types of plays, the ones that do not hit the box score but make a huge on court difference.
This also has the effect of making the defender come over late, giving Gallinari a chance to get to the line due to the defender scrambling. Gallinari is top-ten in the league at the stripe so it is an easy way to score.
There is also the massive upside that this team shows. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is only in his second season in the NBA and from what we have seen, he is going to be a superstar. There is also growth in Terrance Ferguson, Hamidou Diallo, Abdel Nader, Darius Bazley and the plethora of draft picks the OKC Thunder own.
Gallinari may also stay due to the coach. Billy Donovan has given the big Italian the green light to shoot from anywhere. This is not through lack of options; Donovan appears to trust the judgment of Gallinari. He is allowing the team to play ball in a similar manner to the 2011 Mavericks, the championship winning 2011 Mavericks.
Obviously, I do not know the personal motivations of Gallinari but from where I sit, he has many good reasons to re-sign with the OKC Thunder this offseason.
This is a gamble that General Manager Sam Presti needs to ponder and given the current dynamics of the team is definitely a risk well worth taking.