Former Knicks Guard Struggling With New Team

The vision was clear in New York entering the 2024-25 NBA season: ‘Villanova Knicks.’ After trading a haul of draft picks to the Brooklyn Nets for Mikal Bridges, former college teammates of Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and Donte DiVincenzo, it seemed like the Infinity Stones were all together.

The New York Knicks would be bringing the band back together to contend for a championship. It would be a team full of chemistry due to the championship-winning team back in the mid-2010s.

That is, until it wasn’t. Seemingly out of nowhere, the Knicks traded DiVincenzo, along with All-Star forward Julius Randle, to the Minnesota Timberwolves for center Karl-Anthony Towns. It got mixed reviews from Knicks fans entering the regular season, as it was tough to see a fan favorite in DiVincenzo go.

However, through the first third of the season, it’s clear New York is winning the trade. Towns is playing like an MVP candidate, with the Knicks holding the third seed in the Eastern Conference, while Randle and DiVincenzo have struggled to find impactful roles in Minnesota.

This season, DiVincenzo in particular is struggling off the bench. It was reported that the guard did not like the idea of coming off the bench, hence his dealing to the Timberwolves, as room had to be made for forward OG Anunoby.

The 27-year-old has seen a noticeable dropoff in production. Last season, DiVincenzo averaged 15.5 points on 44.3% shooting from the field and 40.1% from deep. This season, his scoring has fallen to 8.9 points per game on 36.8% shooting from the field and 33.1% from deep.

It’s always tough entering a new system, especially right before the regular season starts. DiVincenzo was traded in early October, meaning he only had around three weeks to move to Minnesota and get ready with a new squad. As we near the halfway point of the regular season, things haven’t gotten better.

The Timberwolves are barely hanging on to a spot in the Play-In Tournament, less than seven months after making the Western Conference Finals. It just goes to show how much a blockbuster trade can impact a team on the negative end, while the Knicks have benefited greatly.

There’s hope that DiVincenzo can turn it around and find that magic he once had in New York. In 63 games as a starter last season, he averaged 17.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 3.0 assists, becoming one of the best three-point shooters in the league. Knicks fans surely will be rooting for him from afar.

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