After a career year with the New York Knicks last year, Donte DiVincenzo was seemingly not thrilled with a role reduction.
DiVincenzo was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves alongside Julius Randle in a blockbuster deal for Karl-Anthony Towns.
The deal is a shocking one, with the Knicks giving up a three-time All-Star in Randle, plus their single-season leader in three-pointers just months after he played a crucial role in a 50-win season and playoff run.
However, with the addition of Mikal Bridges. DiVincenzo was likely set to come off the bench this season. While DiVincenzo would have still had a major role in the rotation, he likely would have seen a drastic drop from the 37.5 minutes per game he averaged after last year’s All-Star break.
According to SNY’s Ian Begley, DiVincenzo was not happy about his reduced role.
From Begley:
“I can say confidently that DiVincenzo didn’t exactly love the idea of playing fewer minutes/a reduced role this season. He was coming off of a career year and helped the team win a ton of games when it was shorthanded.”
Begley adds that he doesn’t believe DiVincenzo’s attitude toward the reduced role played any part in the Knicks’ decision to trade him.
Ultimately, the Knicks needed to add more money to the deal to trade for Towns. Multiple reports indicated that the Wolves became more open to moving Towns for Randle when the Knicks became willing to include DiVincenzo. Unfortunately, for DiVincenzo, he is still set to play a bench role with the Timberwolves.
Losing DiVincenzo is a blow to the Knicks — his shooting, defense, and tenacity were huge parts of the Knicks’ success last season. His four-year, $47 million contract became one of the greatest values in the league.
But the Knicks desperately needed size to make up for Isaiah Hartenstein’s free agency departure, Mitchell Robinson’s injury, and the unproven and small(ish) big man rotation of Jericho Sims and Precious Achiuwa. Towns brings the size needed to play center, and the shooting that will make the Knicks incredibly difficult to defend on offense.
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