Gallinari Only Wants to Play Near New York

Danilo Gallinari is considered the most talented foreign player in this year's draft, and just like last year with Yi Jianlian, he's very particular about where he wants to land. He has his eyes set on the Knicks and Nets. Should any other team draft him, they run the risk of the 19-year-old snubbing the NBA in favor of a lucrative contract to stay in Europe. From Dave D'Alessandro of the Star-Ledger:

"I like New Jersey and New York. I like those two places," the Italian forward said matter-of-factly after his one-hour, one-man workout with the Nets yesterday in East Rutherford. "Now I will work out for New Jersey and New York (today), then I don't know (about) other teams."

The reason being? He has all the leverage a teenager needs, in the form of a very lucrative multiyear offer from his team in Milan, so he doesn't have to play in the NBA at all.

"Yeah," he confirmed. "Before the 16th of June we will evaluate everything and we will decide."

The Knicks and Nets hold the sixth and 10th overall picks, respectively. He's been linked to the Knicks for a while, especially considering his dad used to play ball with Mike D'Antoni years ago in Italy. But while he's an excellent shooter and seems like a good fit for D'Antoni's system, D'Alessandro thinks the Knicks will try to upgrade their backcourt before drafting a small forward.

The Nets would probably love to have him, but will the Clippers, Bucks and Bobcats resist the temptation to draft him seventh, eighth or ninth?

Gallinari also has something else in common with Yi: so far he's refusing to workout for teams and face real competition. I don't know if he's posting up against a chair, but the decision certainly does add to the risk factor in drafting him. He's a harder guy to scout considering all of his game tape is against European competition. That's not a slight against Euro ball in the least, it's just easier for NBA front offices as a whole to compare prospective picks when they face the same competition.

While Yi was eventually convinced to play in Milwaukee after the Bucks ignored his warning not to draft him, Gallinari has a bit more leverage: his offers to stay in Europe are most likely much more lucrative than what Yi would have accepted had he stayed in China. Plus, as we've discussed before, it's becoming quite common for Euro players to put off making the jump. This could get interesting.

Previously on FanHouse:
NBA Frankenstein: Danilo Gallinari
Top Foreign Prospect Enters Draft