It has been a busy past few weeks for NBA players with Italian roots. Orlando Magic star Paolo Banchero cemented himself as a cornerstone of the franchise as he was selected to participate in his first NBA All-Star Game, becoming the only Italian to ever receive this recognition. Meanwhile, other players like Danilo Gallinari and Simone Fontecchio will have the opportunity for a new beginning as both athletes find themselves on different teams following the NBA trade deadline.
Danilo Gallinari started his 2023-2024 campaign with the Washington Wizards, collecting just 7.0 points per game before being traded to the Detroit Pistons in mid-January. Here, Gallinari’s stats improved as he averaged 8.7 points while shooting nearly 58% from the three-point line in just 15.0 minutes per game. However, the 16-year NBA veteran found himself searching for a new organization to call home after just six games following his release on February 9th.
After playing on the two worst teams in the NBA with a combined 17 wins between the two clubs, Gallinari will now have a chance to compete for a league championship after agreeing to sign with the Milwaukee Bucks for the rest of the season. He will reunite with coach Doc Rivers, who unlocked Gallinari’s full potential with the Los Angeles Clippers in 2019 when the Graffignana native of the Lombardy region of Italy posted career highs in points (19.2), rebounds (6.1), and field goal percentage (46.3%).
While Detroit recently lost one Italian, they added another in Simone Fontecchio after agreeing to terms on a deal with the Utah Jazz in exchange for Kevin Knox, the rights to Gabriele Procida, and a second-round pick. The 2023 FIBA World Cup standout was playing well for the Utah Jazz over 50 games this season, averaging 8.9 points and 3.5 rebounds in 23.2 minutes per contest. His performance has only benefited from the change in scenery, dropping 15.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.0 steals on average over his first three games in a Pistons uniform. Now that he’s joined the most underachieving team in the NBA, Fontecchio will continue to have more opportunities to add to the best season of his two-year career as he assumes a more prominent role.
Both players are extremely capable athletes and prolific scorers with more to offer than their 2024 stats let on thus far, so you’ll want to keep an eye on their performances as they represent the few players in the league of Italian origin.
