When the New York Knicks acquired Mikal Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets last Summer, Villanova fans rejoiced.
While they already had Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and Donte DiVincenzo, they were completing a quartet of Villanova alumni and recreating a collegiate team that had previously won a national championship.
Unfortunately, the college teammates never saw the floor together in the Orange & Blue, as New York traded DiVincenzo and Julius Randle to the Minnesota Timberwolves for a desperately needed center, Karl-Anthony Towns, on the eve of the 2024-25 NBA Season. Now, almost a year later, the Knicks have the opportunity to rectify their past mistake.
Knicks Trade Idea Acquires Donte DiVincenzo
In a trade idea proposed by Siddhant Gupta of fadeawayworld.com, the Knicks would reacquire their former shooting guard, but at a price.
New York Knicks Receive: Donte DiVincenzo
Minnesota Timberwolves Receive: Miles McBride, Guerschon Yabusele
While shipping out homegrown talent in Miles “Deuce” McBride and the newly signed Guerschon Yabusele may be a tough pill to swallow, the addition of DiVincenzo would be massive for this Knicks team.
DiVincenzo had the best season of his career playing alongside his former college teammates in 2023-24, averaging a personal best 15.5 points per game, and shooting 40% from three. Those numbers came down during his first season with the Timberwolves.
While he started for those Knicks, he most likely would come off the bench for this iteration of the team. Gupta elaborated more on the fit with New York: “On the current Knicks roster, he would effectively fit into the role of the primary ball-handler off the bench or the secondary distributor while playing alongside Brunson.” Gupta wrote. “Although his scope as a playmaker is limited, DiVincenzo is a lethal perimeter shooter and a reliable on-ball defender.”
If the Knicks want to consolidate their roster and trade depth for a true contributor who has proven he can play meaningful playoff minutes, they should get in touch with Minnesota and see what it would take to bring back the “Nova Knicks.”
