11 Players the Celtics never should have gambled on

The Boston Celtics are chasing their 18th championship in franchise history. They have had playoff success, but the title has eluded them since 2008. Jayson Tatum is one of the best players in the world, and the franchise is pushing for another ring. Expect them to stay aggressive in upgrading their roster.

The moves do not always work out. The Celtics have missed on draft picks, made disastrous signings, and even let talent walk before playing one minute with the franchise. No front office is perfect, but any move can be the one that makes or ruins a team.

They should try to learn from their past to avoid making the same mistake. Here is a look at 11 players the Celtics regret taking a chance on.

11. Danilo Gallinari

Boston signed the veteran scorer to a two-year $13.3 million contract in the 2022 offseason. The 33-year-old was the Hawks' sixth man for two seasons and spent years as a starter. Gallinari always got buckets and was a strong floor spacer for five different teams before arriving in Boston.

Except Il Gallo never played for the Celtics. He tore his ACL in an offseason workout and missed the entire 2022-23 season. Boston traded him to Washington to get Kristaps Porzingis in June of 2023.

It was nobody’s fault that Danilo Gallinari got hurt, but he had a lengthy injured history before the Boston Celtics signed him. It happens. The franchise certainly regretted the signing as they had to eat his contract with zero production as Boston chased a championship. The Celtics were bounced in the conference finals, and Gallinari was quickly traded as the front office remade their roster.