Knicks Target Donte DiVincenzo to Decline Option, Hit Free Agency

Golden State Warriors shooter Donte DiVincenzo appears to be one step closer to joining former college teammates Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart with the New York Knick.

Per Kendra Andrews of ESPN, former Villanova Wildcat Donte DiVincenzo is set to scratch his $4.7 million player option from the Golden State Warriors for the 2023-24 season and hit free agency.

Andrews says that the Warriors expected DiVincenzo to walk after he lived up to expectations of a two-year, $9.2 million contract after coming over from Sacramento. DiVincenzo worked his way into the starting lineup over the final stages of the regular season: over the final 25 games (24 starts), he put up 10.3 points and 5.1 rebounds in that span. 

In the early stages of the NBA offseason, DiVincenzo and the New York Knicks have been a popular pairing. Reuniting a college national championship trio ... fellow Wildcat Jalen Brunson is locked up for the next three years and many expect another free agent Philadelphian, Josh Hart, to return ... is the obvious selling point but DiVincenzo would be a practical addition as well. 

While the Knicks are reaping the rewards of their most lucrative season in a decade, there's no doubt some lingering regrets behind a campaign that ended with a six-game loss to the eighth-seeded Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Outside shooting played a large role in the Knicks' demise, as they were the only one of the 16 playoff combatants to shoot less than 30 percent from three-point range.

DiVincenzo, renowned for his Villanova finale that saw him score 31 points off the bench in a national title win over Michigan, has had a consistent outside prescience since entering the NBA as a first-round pick of Milwaukee's in 2018. Playing with Stephen Curry's renowned pursuits from deep helped him set career bests last season, sinking 2.1 per game and just under 40 percent of his attempts. 

The 2021 NBA champion has also been lauded for his defense, ranking third in positional rating during the 2019-20 season and 15th in total steals in this prior campaign.

Hart, an old and potentially future teammate has done little to hide his desire to reunite with DiVincenzo, previously hinting to Bleacher Report's Taylor Rooks that he was not-so-subtlely planting the idea in his mind.

"There are Nova guys that I'm trying to get to NY," Hart said. "(DiVincenzo's) my guy. I was talking to him the other day ... (Brunson and DiVincenzo) are my brothers and I hope we can share the court for a long time and hopefully in the same uniform."

There are still plenty of steps to go before DiVincenzo dons blue and orange, but the first of that transactional journey have indeed been taken. 

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Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

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