For the second straight offseason, the New York Knicks come away with their guy in free agency — and they didn’t have to wait nearly as long as the 12 days it took to come away with Jalen Brunson last summer.
Donte DiVincenzo, Brunson’s college teammate at Villanova, is headed to the Knicks on a four-year, $50 million deal where he’ll be tasked with revitalizing some of New York’s most glaring issues that got them bounced from the second round of the playoffs by the Miami Heat.
The 26-year-old is coming off a productive season in a reserve role with the Golden State Warriors in which he averaged 9.4 points and 3.5 assists in 26.3 minutes per game on 39.7% shooting from three-point range.
The career 36% shooter from deep is a much-needed addition for the Knicks, who ranked 19th in the NBA in three-point shooting percentage last season and shot just 29.9% during the second round against Miami.
For the Heat, the gameplan was simple: Descend upon Brunson to tighten up the floor. Only he and RJ Barrett shot over 30% from downtown.
DiVincenzo can stretch the floor to not only hit shots but open up more playmaking opportunities for his old teammate in Brunson. The two won a national championship together at Villanova in 2018.
The major question that comes with the shooting guard is how he’ll fit within the Knicks’ roster the way it’s currently configured.
New York dealt Obi Toppin to the Indiana Pacers for a pair of second-round picks, but Tom Thibodeau’s squad is still flush with guards like Quentin Grimes, Josh Hart, and Immanuel Quickley. Either DiVincenzo’s presence creates a bit of a logjam and takes minutes away from the trio of guards behind Brunson and Barrett or the Knicks have more moves to make this offseason.
