The New York Knicks traded away Donte DiVincenzo after just one season with the team. He and Julius Randle were sent to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Karl-Anthony Towns, and while the trade has seemed to work out well for New York, the same can’t be said about Minnesota.
Former Knicks guard Donte DiVincenzo could be on the trade block
DiVincenzo has really struggled this season coming off the bench for the Timberwolves. In 15 games this season, he is averaging just 9.5 points and is shooting 34.8% from the field and 32.4% from three, a massive drop-off from his season averages last year.
According to ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel, DiVincenzo is now a potential trade target for contending teams:
“Donte DiVincenzo is being viewed as a possible trade candidate for several contending teams around the league, sources said. While the Timberwolves value DiVincenzo’s skillset, the 27-year-old combo guard was not thrilled with the idea of coming off the bench after being traded,” Siegel wrote.
Now, bad news for Knicks fans who want him back with the team this season. New York cannot re-acquire a player that they traded away in the same season, according to the league’s CBA. So the dream of bringing him back this year is dead.
However, the Knicks will have the ability to trade for him following the conclusion of this season. New York could benefit from having him back as they are thin in terms of bench scoring, but there are some caveats to doing so.
DiVincenzo’s contract complicates making a deal
Firstly, the contract. DiVincenzo is on a four-year, $46 million contract that he signed with the Knicks two summers ago. New York is very close to eclipsing the second apron, which would really hard-cap their ability to add more pieces to their roster.
Unless DiVincenzo were to get waived and become a free agent, the Knicks would have to find a way to make the money match in a deal to avoid going over the second apron. That could come at the cost of important players such as Miles McBride or Mitchell Robinson, and the Knicks may not want to hurt their depth even more.
DiVincenzo wouldn’t have the same role if he returned to the Knicks
Additionally, DiVincenzo would find himself in a similar situation to the one he is currently in if he were to come back to the Knicks. He would have to resort to a bench role with Mikal Bridges in the starting five, and Siegel alluded to the notion that coming off the bench was undesirable for him.
DiVincenzo started last year coming off the bench for New York before working his way up to becoming a starter. In 63 games as a starter for the Knicks, DiVincenzo flourished with the extra opportunities he was given as he averaged 17.7 points and shot 45.2% from the field and 40.3% from three in that role.
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However, those same opportunities won’t come if he were to return to the Knicks with this same roster, and it is unlikely that his role would look substantially different than his current one in Minnesota. Having him play in an unwanted role could spell an awkward reunion despite him being a heavy fan favorite.
While the idea of bringing back DiVincenzo sounds fun, it is very complicated from a logistics standpoint and may not be worth the extra hassle for a player who won’t be starting. Nevertheless, the Knicks seem to have worked out nicely from the trade and are hopeful that they will be a better team than ever before.
