Before facing his former team in New York on Sunday, Donte DiVincenzo dismissed the notion that he was disgruntled by the possibility of a role reduction with the Knicks following their acquisition of Mikal Bridges.
Multiple reports in the wake of the trade sending DiVincenzo from the Knicks to the Timberwolves suggested he wasn’t thrilled about potentially moving to the bench after a career year, with one claiming he was “really unhappy” about the idea. DiVincenzo called that “completely untrue,” as Stefan Bondy of The New York Post relays.
“Obviously everyone wants to start coming off the season I had last year, but I also understand that there’s different lineups and different combinations that teams want to get to – I understand that. It was never a thing of, ‘Oh, we got Mikal, I’m pissed off.’ I was super excited,” DiVincenzo told Bondy. “Take the Villanova s–t out of it, I was super excited because we have a very good player coming back to the team. And you get OG (Anunoby) back, now you’re looking at, ‘Wow we’re going to be really good.’
“There was never a conversation of my role was going to be diminished. There was never a conversation that my minutes would be diminished. It was the outside assumption and ran with it and it was untrue.”
While DiVincenzo admitted that he was caught off guard when he first heard about his move to Minnesota, he said he got on board with the deal quickly and that he’s not holding any sort of grudge toward the Knicks for trading him away after a year in which he set the franchise’s single-season record for three-pointers.
“Initially, you never want to get traded. So I was kind of upset, I was kind of hurt,” DiVincenzo said. “… And my mind went right to (the Timberwolves). …. It was an easy transition. There were no angry feelings, no mad feelings, nothing like that. It was an initial, ‘Damn, I got traded.’ And you move on to the next thing. It was all love.”
Here’s more on the Knicks:
- Having expressed enthusiasm about how his own roster looks after the Karl-Anthony Towns trade, Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch also heaped praise on the Knicks for the work they’ve done to upgrade their squad since last season ended, per Adam Zagoria of NJ.com. “I mean, how can you not like this team?” Finch asked rhetorically. “They got two-way players all over the place. That’s what you gotta you have in the game to win today at a high level. … They have great versatility, they’re gonna spread you out, they got toughness, they’re super well-coached. I think (Bridges and Towns) naturally fit into Tom (Thibodeau)‘s personality and system.”
- After playing alongside a four-time Defensive Player of the Year center (Rudy Gobert) for the last two seasons, Towns will have to adjust to playing the five in New York and take on the defensive responsibilities that come along with his new role. As Peter Botte of The New York Post details, Towns is embracing that challenge. “It’s just accepting the responsibility of being the person who’s quarterbacking and anchoring the defense,” Towns said, adding that wings like Bridges, Anunoby, and Josh Hart will help make life easier for him.
- The Knicks’ roster looks more talented than last season’s group, but will it be able to match the toughness of the 2023/24 squad after losing DiVincenzo, Julius Randle, and Isaiah Hartenstein? Steve Popper of Newsday considers that question.
Its just WILD how the Knicks had not 1 but 2 guys break out in Donte and Isaiah….only to send both of them packing immediately. This is why the Knicks are trash and will never win a title unless they enter a full rebuild from ownership-down.
Wrong assumption. You buy low and sell high. All parties came out fine in the end.
Uh-oh. You are done for now. You broke the cardinal rule of Hoopsrumors. Thou shalt not question Davey J. He is the only one that knows “ball”…Actually, Donte broke out when he was in Milwaukee.
Davey
Knicks didn’t send IHart packing. They offered him the max amount they could have, but under league contract rules, was far less than what he received from OKC.
Also, I’m a Nova and Big East fan in general, so I love Donte. That said, his breakout season still only made him a solid starter.
As a life long Knicks fan, I have suffered plenty over the years. A total rebuild though, and they’re trash!?! Not sure you’re watching the same NBA I have for the last 3-4 years. Guessing you’re a C’s fan.
@ Greg….the guy thinks the warriors are winning the chip?
No reason they can’t. They shouldn’t have gone to the Finals in ’22. But, they beat the Celtics. How Boston let Poole beat the is one of greatest NBA mysteries.
Plenty of reasons they can’t. It’s now the 24/25 season man. 22 was their parting gift. Hardley a mystery, Poole was balling at the time as was Wiggins. Warriors had legit 2nd and 3rd scoring options outside of Steph…..this team doesn’t have that and their team D has fallen off a cliff. The role playing veterans also balled out. Also a very different Celtics team. Be lucky to make the playoffs. Warriors are closer to Houston than they are OKC, Wolves, Mavs etc. Haven’t even mentioned Grizzlies who had a disastrous season injury wise. Suns healthy also ahead of GS. Lakers, kings etc…..the Warriors coming out on top the west or even winning their division is a massive reach. The Warriors fans on here are easily the most delusional.
I didn’t say anything about the Warriors coming out on top in the West or winning the Division. They didn’t in 22. In fact, they barely made it into the playoffs. That is the mystery of how they won. Klay and Poole are gone, so the defense should be improved. There are reasons to believe that Wiggins will improve. TJD showed at the end of last season that he can be a force. I am not saying they will win it all. But, half the roster knows what it takes to win.
Not saying they’re going to win? What does no reason they can’t mean? I gave said reasons. What reasons you have for Wiggins improving? That guy has checked out between the ears. TJD forming a big 3 is he……c’mon man. Just say they’re a title threat or not. I’ll stick with not. Ahead of only the clippers betting in their division, sounds about right. Anyways, this is a knicks thread. A legit contender going deep all being even.
You are the one that brought up the Warriors, on a Knicks thread. They weren’t a legit contender in 22, but won it all. They struggled all season long, but won it all. Hield is a better player than Poole. Wiggins issues are well known. He’ll improve. The Warriors are a better team this season than they were in 22.
Only trash is your intelligence. Try another sport.
KAT replaces IHart
Bridges replaces Donte …
In what world is this worse. Ignorance is all you need. Go away.
Oh Al…Davey is like Herpes. He just mutes you and says you don’t know “ball”. He has had many aliases, I have been muted many times.
You really think I care a wannabe mutes me.
Only shows they got no Cojones waay ….
Towns can talk about how he is “embracing the challenge” all he wants. But so far he’s just talking.
He embraced the challenge against the Nuggets in the playoffs last year anchoring the Wolves defense to a victory by flummoxing Jokic while Gobert sat out because of an injury. Some players grow and mature and no player is the same as they were years ago but it seems hard for fans to accept new narratives.
On paper Knicks are better but it all comes down to chemistry and health. KAT has to step up.
Try learning instead spouting ignorance. This the only one we need …….
link to si.com
I feel KAT needing to get tougher here is vastly overplayed, hes on a great team here to just do what he do. They have plenty of beyond tough players
I’ve been critical of Kat here for years, been calling for Minny to trade him but credit where credit is do he was great last payoffs (More 1b than B or C option for Minny). He duplicates that play for NYK this year they’ll be very happy and can leave the toughness factor to other branches of the Knicks team.
KAT was rebounding before Rudy got there. He will have to reb here 10-12 a gm. Team D is all we need.
Knicks are better after trade. Still have to prove it. Well let the season begin. Knicks will show up. I guarantee it .
Knicks fans should be emphatically thrilled with the roster they’ve put together over the last couple seasons.
They’ve slowly built this team into a title contender with really only Boston standing in their way in the East.
I wish the Bulls were even remotely as competent lately..But there’s a glimmer of hope right now, a very small glimmer….lol