Donte DiVincenzo signs four-year, $50 million deal with Knicks
The Villanova connection is real! Guard Donte DiVincenzo has signed a four-year, $50 million deal with the New York Knicks, reuniting with former Villanova teammates Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski was first to report Saturday.
Free agent G Donte DiVincenzo has agreed on a four-year, $50 million contract with the New York Knicks, Jason Glushon of @GlushonSM tells ESPN. DiVincenzo reunites with his Villanova title teammates Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart to bolster the Eastern Conference semifinalists. pic.twitter.com/MSr1wXS4GC
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2023
DiVincenzo declined a $4.7 million player option from the Golden State Warriors earlier last week, which was the final year of a two-year deal he signed prior to 2022-23.
He averaged 9.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.3 steals per game last season, playing in 72 games (36 starts). He shot 43.5 percent from the floor, 39.7 percent from 3-point range and 81.7 percent from the free-throw line.
The Knicks don’t have cap space, so this deal will likely come at the hands of the $12.4 million non-taxpayer midlevel exception, hard-capping the Knicks at the $172.34 million tax apron. They are unable to exceed that threshold under any circumstance if that is the case.
Even though they play two different positions, DiVincenzo–who can defend 1 thru 3– is a clear upgrade defensively over Obi Toppin, who they traded to the Indiana Pacers in exchange for future draft pick compensation Saturday.
Even though DiVincenzo himself struggled against the Golden State Warriors in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, he gives the Knicks a very capable 3-and-D option for a team that lacked reputable spot-up shooting last postseason.
The Knicks can still offload Evan Fournier‘s $18.9 million, if they can find a taker, to build more flexibility. They are currently $4 million from the $165.3 million luxury tax threshold with a $6.8 million trade exception from Toppin’s trade, per Spotrac.
This is a breaking news story. Stay tuned for updates.
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