Celtics Rumors: Danilo Gallinari's Knee Injury Diagnosed as Torn ACL After Evaluation

Danilo Gallinari, a key offseason acquisition of the Boston Celtics, will likely miss the 2022-23 season.

Per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, Gallinari was diagnosed with a torn ACL after undergoing a "thorough" medical analysis. The 34-year-old injured his left knee during Italy's 91-84 win over Georgia in a World Cup qualifier Aug. 27.

Charania noted the typical ACL recovery timeframe ranges from six to 12 months.

Gallinari was injured early in the fourth quarter when he received a pass on a fast break. His left knee appeared to buckle, and he was removed from the game.

"It's tough to talk about basketball after what we saw happen to Danilo," Italy captain Luigi Datome told reporters after the win. "We wish him, of course, the best."

The Italy national team announced Gallinari's injury as a torn meniscus with no ligament damage.

Gallinari suffered the same injury to the same knee in April 2013 while playing for the Denver Nuggets. He missed the remainder of the season and the 2013-14 campaign while recovering.

The Celtics signed Gallinari to a two-year, $13.3 million contract July 12. He had become a free agent after being waived by the San Antonio Spurs, who acquired him from the Atlanta Hawks in the Dejounte Murray trade.

Three days before adding Gallinari, the Celtics acquired Malcolm Brogdon from the Indiana Pacers for five players and a 2023 first-round draft pick.

Gallo was expected to add scoring punch off the bench. The forward averaged 11.7 points per game for the Hawks in 2021-22 and is a 38.2 percent shooter from three-point range in his career.

Expectations are incredibly high for the Celtics after they reached the NBA Finals last season. The loss of Gallinari will hurt, but they have built enough depth to play at a high level even without him.