NBA
Video: Donte DiVincenzo Reflects on Knicks-Wolves Trade, Praises Anthony Edwards
Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Many people likely didn’t expect the New York Knicks to trade Donte DiVincenzo after he was such a key piece of their run to the second round of the playoffs last season, but things can quickly change in the NBA.
Especially if a player such as Karl-Anthony Towns becomes available.
New York and the Minnesota Timberwolves completed a three-team trade with the Charlotte Hornets shortly ahead of the 2024-25 campaign that sent DiVincenzo and Julius Randle to Minnesota and Towns to New York.
DiVincenzo opened up about the move and his opportunity to team up with Anthony Edwards during a Wednesday appearance on The Young Man and the Three podcast (4:30 mark).
“You think about all the trade situations, I’ve been traded before so, like, I couldn’t ask for a better trade situation to go to,” he said. “You’re going to a team that’s a contender, you’re going to a team that you were looking at in free agency, and you’re going to a team that has a stud that’s young.
“Just going bonkers and like the energy that he gives to the organization, you see it from the outside, but when you’re here, he makes coming to work everyday just so enjoyable and that’s something that is very, very, very fun.”
The trade was under the spotlight during a preseason matchup between the Knicks and Timberwolves when DiVincenzo chirped at the New York bench and had to be separated from Knicks assistant coach Rick Brunson after the game.
Bleacher Report @BleacherReport
Donte DiVincenzo and Rick Brunson had to be separated after exchanging words 😳
This was Donte’s first game back in New York following the trade to Minnesota pic.twitter.com/CDt72FzEkH
The two teams face each other for the first time in the regular season on Dec. 19, and DiVincenzo will have a return trip to New York on Jan. 17.
He and the rest of the Timberwolves surely hope they are playing with more consistency by the time those games roll around, as they are just 6-5 in the early going and coming off two straight losses to the Miami Heat and Portland Trail Blazers. Considering they went to the Western Conference Finals with Edwards leading the way just last season, they likely envisioned a better start in 2024-25.
Fortunately for Minnesota, there is still plenty of time to turn things around with the 23-year-old Edwards spearheading the charge.
More consistent play from DiVincenzo would help as well, as he averaged 15.5 points per game behind 44.3 percent shooting from the field and 40.1 percent shooting from deep last season compared to 10.1 points per game behind 36.6 percent shooting from the field and 32.9 percent shooting from deep this season.
But that will likely come with more experience in Minnesota’s system ahead of a potential playoff run.
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