Donte DiVincenzo: New York Knicks' Finest Free Agent?
The New York Knicks have built their current success primarily by adding veteran names off the free agency list. Only three players on the active roster (Miles McBride, Mitchell Robinson, Jericho Sims) were drafted by the team, as free agent signees Jalen Brunson, Donte DiVincenzo, and Julius Randle have led the way alongside trade acquisitions like OG Anunoby and Josh Hart.
DiVincenzo was the primary difference on this season's opening roster compared to the end of last and it's safe to say he's living up to his four-year, $46.8 million contract and more. Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report recognized DiVincenzo's impact in a list of team-by-team awards, bestowing him the fictitious "Let It Fly" honor for his impact from the outside.
"DiVincenzo has never been better, and he's never shot more threes. This doesn't feel like a coincidence," Hughes writes. "One of the best mid-level signings of the summer, DiVincenzo has missed just one game all season and is in a dead heat with Hart for the Knicks lead in appearances... On the year, he's third in the league in total threes made and is the only guy averaging under 29.0 minutes per game to crack the top 10."
Reunited with his Villanova teammates Brunson and Hart, DiVincenzo has left a noticeable impact on the Knicks' outside fortunes since taking over the starting shooting guard spot. The former Golden State Warrior broke the Knicks' single-season record for three-pointers last month, currently standing at 270 and likely counting.
Considering the Knicks' struggles from deep in last year's otherwise successful playoff run, DiVincenzo could wind up becoming one of the most valuable acquisitions in the Association entirely come this year's postseason. He and the Knicks will get a chance to close in on a playoff seed on Tuesday night when they continue a late road trip against the Chicago Bulls (8 p.m. ET, MSG).
JONAH MORGAN