Donte DiVincenzo drew interest from multiple teams this past offseason, but ultimately landed with the New York Knicks and signed a four-year, $50 million contract with them in the summer. At Media Day on Monday, the 26-year-old guard detailed why he chose the Knicks out of all teams during his free agency.
Donte DiVincenzo details why he chose to sign with the Knicks
“First and foremost, I’m two hours away from my family, and family is everything to me,” DiVincenzo said. “But ultimately, I like to win basketball games. Looking at the layout of where I was potentially going to land, I felt most comfortable coming here.”
DiVincenzo has endured plenty of success in his basketball career, winning two NCAA championships with Villanova in 2016 and 2018 before winning an NBA title with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021.
The Knicks are looking to continue the success they had last season, where they defied nearly all expectations by winning a playoff series for the first time since 2013 and finishing as the Eastern Conference’s fifth seed.
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Expectations for DiVincenzo’s first season with New York
As of now, DiVincenzo is expected to come off the bench for the Knicks, but will likely still play a key role in their gameplan on both ends of the floor. He was one of New York’s main targets this offseason, as he fits the needs for both shooting and defense.
“My focus is to win games whether I’m starting or coming off the bench, playing 20 minutes or 40 minutes,” DiVincenzo said.
The expectations are set much higher for New York this season than last, but DiVincenzo is focused on showing everyone what he can really do on the court and how he can help contribute to winning games as much as possible.
Last season with the Warriors, he averaged just over nine points and shot close to 40% from three. It should be exciting to see how he continues to elevate his game in his first season with the Knicks.
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