Latest report proves that baseless Donte DiVincenzo-Knicks rumor is untrue

There are two main New York Knicks players that fans thought could be traded this summer: Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson. Nobody believed Donte DiVincenzo would be in New York for only one season.

Fans panicked when Shams Charania tweeted on Friday that the Timberwolves were finalizing a deal to send Karl-Anthony Towns to the Knicks. That panic rose when Charania tweeted that DiVincenzo and Randle were part of the package.

Randle became extension-eligible on Aug. 3, and the two sides didn't agree to a deal. The belief was that the forward would start the season in New York, but that didn't happen. A Randle trade wasn't entirely out of the picture because of his extension situation. DiVincenzo was a different story.

Shortly after the trade was announced, a rumor started on social media about DiVincenzo being unhappy in New York. The claim was that he wasn't thrilled being part of the Villanova Knicks, which came out of left field.

SNY's Ian Begley reported that New York didn't want to trade DiVincenzo, but Minnesota wanted him. Begley added that he knew DiVincenzo "didn't love" having a reduced role, but that didn't affect the Knicks' decision to trade him.

"I can say confidently that DiVincenzo didn’t exactly love the idea of playing fewer minutes/a reduced role this season. He was coming off of a career year and helped the team win a ton of games when it was shorthanded."

Donte DiVincenzo reportedly didn't want to leave the Knicks

On Monday, Ian Begley reiterated that New York didn't want to trade DiVincenzo and that he wasn't "upset" about coming off the bench after the Mikal Bridges trade.

New York Post's Stefan Bondy reported that DiVincenzo was "pumped" about playing with Bridges.

This might make the trade sting a little worse for Knicks fans. DiVincenzo, Bridges, Jalen Brunson, and Josh Hart didn't get to play a game together in New York. The Villanova Knicks are still alive but without a key member.

Begley said the front office checked in with Minnesota throughout the summer and knew a deal wouldn't get done without DiVincenzo. They viewed it as a tough yet necessary move. Trading for KAT is a huge boost for New York's frontcourt. Trades of that nature don't happen without sacrifice.

Unfortunately, DiVincenzo is in Minnesota. New York fans will always appreciate his career year with the Knicks. Hopefully, he doesn't light up the Knicks from three when they play the Timberwolves in the regular season.