Knicks Guard Addresses Mikal Bridges Trade

Mikal Bridges' trade to the New York Knicks still has Donte DiVincenzo in shock.

Jeremy Brener | Jul 30, 2024

May 17, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; New York Knicks guard Donte DiVincenzo (0) reacts after a made basket during game six of the second round for the 2024 NBA playoffs against the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports / Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

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New York Knicks

New York Knicks teammates Donte DiVincenzo and Mikal Bridges have crossed paths many times during their basketball journeys.

DiVincenzo and Bridges were teammates together at Villanova and both of them won the 2016 and 2018 NCAA championships together. In the 2018 NBA Draft, Bridges went No. 10 overall while DiVincenzo was taken at No. 18.

Three years later, Bridges' Phoenix Suns and DiVincenzo's Milwaukee Bucks met in the 2021 NBA Finals, where the latter won a championship. DiVincenzo signed with the Knicks last summer, and now things are full circle with Bridges coming in via trade from the Brooklyn Nets.

"It's not even believable, to be honest with you," DiVincenzo said via CBS 6 Albany reporter Sam Israel. "It's not a situation where we tried to go out and do it, we talked about it. It's never been like that. Everybody kinda just went along with their own path and ended up back with each other.

"So, we're here to try to win as many games as possible."

Having the pair of them back together at Madison Square Garden will keep the Knicks' chemistry among some of the best in the NBA. It's very rare for collegiate teammates to have the opportunity to play alongside each other in the pros, but Bridges and DiVincenzo, along with Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart, will get that opportunity.

But the 'Nova Knicks don't just want to play together again, but they also want to do what they did in college: win together. If they can execute the plan that they are building this offseason, they will certainly have a chance to do just that.

Bridges and DiVincenzo are taking a few months off before training camp begins for the Knicks in late September and early October.

Make sure you bookmark New York Knicks on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

Published Jul 30, 2024

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.