Thunderous Intentions
Fansided

3 Free agents Thunder could target to replace Mike Muscala

The Thunder are slated to be without Mike Muscala's veteran presence next season, but they could look to add a few seasoned professionals to try and make up for this now vacant attribute.

By Mark Nilon

Apr 14, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder center Mike Muscala (50) runs down the court against the Dallas Mavericks during the second half at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 14, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder center Mike Muscala (50) runs down the court against the Dallas Mavericks during the second half at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports / Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 3
Next

Danilo Gallinari

Danilo Gallinari is a player who, though won't dazzle anyone at this stage in his career, has ample experience playing in the association and who can slot in anywhere from the three down to a small-ball five if needed.

A soft-spoken tweener forward who has made a career for himself as an offensive-oriented contributor, the 35-year-old is no stranger to the Thunder organization, as he played a key role during the club's 2019-20 Cinderella story run to the fifth-seed in the Western Conference standings while posting averages of 18.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.9 assists on 40.5 percent shooting from distance.

Now, four seasons and one ACL tear later, one should not expect the 17-year pro to be capable of putting up such production no matter where he opts to bring his talents in 2024-25.

That said, this past season Gallinari proved that he's still capable of serving as a big bodied presence (6-foot-10, 225 pounds) within a frontcourt rotation who can help space the floor and log minimal playing time to help give others ahead of him on the depth chart much needed rest on the sidelines.

Especially when logging minutes for the Detroit Pistons earlier in the campaign, Gallo showed in flashes that he still has the potential to provide positive contributions on the offensive end (8.7 points per game on 54.5 percent shooting and 58.3 percent shooting from distance).

Even if brought aboard to serve as a "break glass in case of emergency" option, there are far worse replacement options for Muscala than Gallinari.

manual

Home/Thunder Rumors