Danilo Gallinari was in Los Angeles this past weekend, working out for the LA Clippers and Memphis Grizzlies for solo one on zero workouts. Teams we talked to indicate they believe Gallinari will pull out of the draft if he does not receive a promise in the top 10 by the early-entry withdrawal deadline (5 PM EST Monday).

How could a near-certain lottery pick like Gallinari not keep his name in this year’s draft? The word is that the main sponsor of his current team in Milan, Giorgio Armani, recently bought a controlling share of the club, and is reportedly offering a large amount of money for him to return. There are whispers in Italy that the team will hire legendary Italian coach Ettore Messina next season, and will be splurging on expensive reinforcements on the player market this summer, in anticipation of playing in the Euroleague once again. Gallinari himself told us that he is waiting to get “as much information as I can about the situation in Milano…the new situation in Milano” when we asked him whether there is a chance he stays in Europe this year.

His American agent Arn Tellem—for the sake of his own reputation if anything-- is much more likely to pull him out of the draft tomorrow than risk a Fran Vasquez/Orlando situation where a team drafts him in the lottery but essentially forfeits the pick by seeing him decide not to come over. Still, that uncertainly can’t be helping Gallinari’s stock in the least bit.

That's strange. One day he says he wants to only play for NY or NJ. The next day, he wants a promise that he'll be picked by anyone in the top ten. What's he going to say tomorrow?

Posted by fishmike:

lets hope he falls, other teams dont bother to draft him and we buy a late #1 and pick him up. Then he can stay in Eu until 2010 when we sign CP3 and Lebron

don't forget Dwight Howard and DWade.

C: DHoward
F: Lebron
F: Gallinari
G: CP3
G: DWade

Posted by Panos:

Posted by fishmike:

lets hope he falls, other teams dont bother to draft him and we buy a late #1 and pick him up. Then he can stay in Eu until 2010 when we sign CP3 and Lebron

don't forget Dwight Howard and DWade.

C: DHoward
F: Lebron
F: Gallinari
G: CP3
G: DWade

but where are Zach, Baron Davis & Mike Redd gonna play?