National Basketball Association

LA Clippers: Danilo Gallinari declined trades at NBA deadline

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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To prevent himself being dealt to the LA Clippers, Boston Celtics or anyone else, Danilo Gallinari refused to be traded by the Denver Nuggets at the NBA trade deadline in February.

Doc Rivers has always been insistent that the LA Clippers are not trading Blake Griffin. He refuted suggestions at the deadline that they were trying to do so, and since the 2015-16 season came to an end he’s said that he hopes Griffin retires with the Clippers. After reports emerged that Griffin is intending to re-sign with the team next summer, Doc’s wishes were only reinforced.

However, if we trace trade talks back to the NBA deadline in February, Griffin and the Clippers were beyond popular in rumors.

Were the Boston Celtics going to land him? Was this the Clippers’ best chance to trade Griffin? Is his time in L.A. done for after the Matias Testi indecent?

We heard it all.

But along with those murmurs, there was also a report from Dan Woike of the Orange County Register that the Denver Nuggets reached out to the Clippers with an offer for Griffin, but there was no interest to accept the deal.

Then, to oppose that report, ESPN’s Chris Broussard said that it was the Clippers who reached out to the Nuggets in an attempt to trade Griffin.

Who’s right? It’s easy to believe Woike, both for his connection to the Clippers as one of the top beat writers, the lack of sense in trading a superstar like Griffin for an inferior collection of players that won’t win a title, and for the new reports that Blake and the Clips want their partnership to continue.

Nevertheless, if the Clippers at least picked up the phone to listen to a trade offer from the Nuggets, it wouldn’t have happened even if Doc wanted to pull the trigger. Because it’s now been revealed that Danilo Gallinari had the chance to be traded at the deadline in February, but refused to go. If traded for a star, he would have been involved in a package with players such as Kenneth Faried and other filler pieces.

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According to Jeffrey Morton of Denver Stiffs (translated from an Italian press conference for NBA Evolution), Gallinari refused to be dealt to the Celtics (who were reportedly interested), the Clippers, or anyone else who wanted to acquire him:

“In Denver I am very well, there was a chance last year to go to some other team before the deadline in February, but I refused. If I return to Italy would be back to Olympia but with the intention of winning, I don’t like the idea of nostalgic revisiting…

“Now my goal is to win something in Denver, I’ve played there for five years now and I love it. I am very well and I hope to win with the Nuggets. Although “Super Teams” are now fashionable such as Golden State and Cleveland, to win in Denver this season will be very difficult for everyone.”

It says a lot about Gallinari’s loyalty that he refused to jump ship to another team — likely with a higher chance of contending in the playoffs — in order to stay in Denver. Coming off a career year with a new high of 19.5 points per game, Nuggets fans will be pleased that’s the case.

Even though there was never any strong indication that a trade was going to happen, this is at least interesting from the standpoint of the LA Clippers as trade attempts from the Nuggets front office could have been more persistent if Gallinari hadn’t refused to be dealt and expressed such loyalty to the team. Maybe they could have kept the Clippers on the phone a little longer.

It’s in the past now, though. And instead, the LA Clippers can focus on a healthy comeback season from Griffin as he hopes to push the team forward and place himself in the MVP discussion in the process.

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