The shock factor from the New York Knicks' decision to trade Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, and a protected first-round pick to the Timberwolves before the 2024-25 season for Karl-Anthony Towns took a while to wear off. Once it did, the magnitude of what happened set in, and with that came the pain of losing DiVo.
New York didn't want to part ways with DiVincenzo, but to get Towns, Minnesota made it clear the guard would have to be part of the deal. The Knicks did what they felt they had to do, and it paid off, with KAT helping them win it all in June.
It's been almost two years since the trade. The Timberwolves moved on from Julius Randle this summer, sending him to the Nets in a move that helped them land LaMelo Ball. DiVincenzo is still around, and even though Minnesota needs to shed about $3 million in salary after agreeing to sign Jonathan Kuminga, the front office doesn't want to lose DiVo.
Sound familiar?
Timberwolves want to keep DiVincenzo
DiVincenzo will miss at least part of next season after rupturing his right Achilles tendon in the first round of the 2026 playoffs against Denver. Even so, the Timberwolves are still trying to trade Josh Green to finalize the Kuminga deal, ESPN reported. They value DiVo that much, as they should, especially after how he was playing before he got hurt.
The Knicks certainly understand that sentiment. DiVincenzo's singular season in New York was electric. He averaged a career-high 15.5 points per game on 40.1% shooting from three (8.7 attempts per game). The go-ahead three-pointer he hit against the Sixers in Game 2 of the 2024 playoffs will quite literally never be forgotten. You could feel the roar from MSG through the television screen, no matter where you were watching from.
His tenacity and competitive fire made it easy to love DiVincenzo, which is why it hurt so much to see him go. Even though fans understand the reasoning (and have seen it pay off), they are holding fast to the hope that he will suit up for the Knicks again one day. The love for him runs that deep.
That's why, if Minnesota wanted to get rid of DiVincenzo to make the Kuminga signing work, fans would call Leon Rose directly (if they had his number) and tell him to make it happen. It doesn't matter that it wouldn't make sense, given the Knicks' finances and the fact that he won't even be available to start the season. And probably won't be for several months after that.
DiVincenzo is on an expiring $12.5 million contract, so he's set to hit unrestricted free agency next summer, and while that will open up the possibility for him to leave Minnesota, it truly seems like he's found his new home with the Timberwolves. That wouldn't have been possible without the Knicks, though if they had gotten it their way, they'd have gotten KAT and kept DiVincenzo.
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