Donte DiVincenzo was reportedly 'really unhappy' in New York

The Wolves acquired DiVincenzo in a trade package for Karl-Anthony Towns Friday night.

New York Knicks guard Donte DiVincenzo (0) reacts during the fourth quarter of Game 7 of a second-round playoff series against the Indiana Pacers at Madison Square Garden in New York on May 19, 2024. / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Perhaps playing a part in what ultimately resulted in the Timberwolves reaching a deal to send Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks was that guard Donte DiVincenzo reportedly was “really unhappy” in New York, and the Knicks were worried it could cause issues down the line.

DiVincenzo, who averaged a career-best 15.5 points per game for the Knicks last season, was a surprise piece of the package and was likely what ultimately got the Timberwolves to pull the trigger. But behind the scenes, it seemed DiVincenzo’s displeasure with the situation in New York played a role in his exit, at least according to a report from SportsCasting’s Mat Issa. 

An anonymous source told Issa that DiVincenzo “was really unhappy, and (the Knicks) thought it could be a problem.” New York also believed Landry Shamet can provide “quality bench guard minutes.” 

The Knicks featured four former Villanova standouts in DiVincenzo, Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges, but apparently, DiVincenzo was too taken with being a part of the Wildcat quartet. 

“DiVincenzo’s not into the Nova thing,” a source told Issa. 

Isa also reported that not everyone within the Knicks organization is too pleased with the Towns acquisition. It'll be interesting to see if anything more comes of that, but it appears that Friday night's blockbuster trade isn't without at least a little drama.

Another thing I’ve heard: doesn’t sound like everyone within the Knicks organization is super thrilled about the KAT acquisition.

— Mat Issa (@matissa15) September 28, 2024