After just one season, Donte DiVincenzo was traded by the New York Knicks. In return for Karl-Anthony Towns, he and Julius Randle were sent to the Minnesota Timberwolves; although the move has appeared to be successful for New York, the same cannot be said for Minnesota.
Coming off the bench for the Timberwolves this season, DiVincenzo has had a lot of trouble. He has only averaged 9.5 points in 15 games this season, shooting 32.4% from three-point range and 34.8% from the field, which is a significant decline from his season numbers from the previous year.
Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints claims that DiVincenzo is currently a possible trade target for teams in the running:
According to sources, Donte DiVincenzo is being considered as a potential trade target by a number of league rival teams. “DiVincenzo, a 27-year-old combo guard, was not thrilled with the idea of coming off the bench after being traded, even though the Timberwolves value his skill set,” Siegel said.
Fans of the Knicks who want him to return to the team this season now have terrible news. According to the league’s CBA, New York is not allowed to re-acquire a player that they traded away in the same season. Thus, there is no chance of him returning this year.
That being said, the Knicks will be able to trade for him when this season ends. Although there are certain restrictions, New York might use his return as they are lacking in bench scoring.
First, the agreement. Two summers ago, DiVincenzo signed a four-year, $46 million contract with the Knicks. The possibility of New York adding more players to their roster would be severely limited if they were to eclipse the second apron.
To avoid going over the second apron, the Knicks would need to figure out a way to make the money match in a deal unless DiVincenzo were waived and became a free agency. That might come at the cost of important guys such as Miles McBride or Mitchell Robinson, and the Knicks may not want to weaken their depth even more.
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. With Mikal Bridges in the starting five, he would have to settle for a bench role, and Siegel hinted that he didn’t want to come off the bench.
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 prospered with the extra opportunities he was afforded as he averaged 17.7 points and shot 45.2% from the field and 40.3% from three in that capacity.
If he were to rejoin the Knicks with the same roster, though, those same opportunities would not present themselves, and it is unlikely that his role would differ significantly from what it is now in Minnesota. Even if he is a huge fan favorite, having him play an unwelcome role could lead to an uneasy reunion.
