The NBA has granted the Celtics a $3.23 million player exception following the injury to forward Danilo Gallinari, per Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Celtics head of basketball operations Brad Stevens has until March 10 to utilize the extra money, Charania added.
Gallinari underwent surgery in September after suffering a torn ACL during FIBA EuroBasket play. Prior to that, he had signed a free agent deal with Boston.
Gallinari, 34, is 6-foot-11 and appeared in 66 games with the Hawks last season, averaging 11.7 points and 4.7 rebounds, and shooting 38 percent from the field. Along with point guard Malcolm Brogdon, Gallinari was one of two veteran newcomers expected to offer a boost to the defending Eastern Conference champions.
He was actually traded from the Hawks to the Spurs as part of the Dejounte Murray deal after last season, then agreed to a deal with the Celtics via the midlevel exception in July.
He suffered the injury while playing for Italy during a EuroBasket qualifying game. It’s the same ACL he tore in 2013.
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