Knicks sign first-round pick Gallinari

Jul 8, 2008 - 11:45 PM NEW YORK (Ticker) -- The New York Knicks signed first-round selection Danilo Gallinari on Tuesday to a multi-year contract.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed for the No. 6 overall pick, but Gallinari will make nearly $2.4 million in his first season and over $7.7 million over three years due to the rookie pay scale negotiated in the collective bargaining agreement.

The 19-year-old Italian native averaged a team-high 17.5 points and 5.7 rebounds last season for Armani Jeans Milano of the Italian A-1 League, then tallied 14.9 points and 4.2 rebounds in 2008 Euroleague play. The 6-10, 225-pounder was named Euroleague Rising Star for the 2007-08 season.

"Danilo will be a tough competitor, will play hard and is very intelligent," Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni said. "This is how you build a team. He is a tremendous talent."