Top team in West was 'serious suitor' for Knicks' Donte DiVincenzo in free agency

The New York Knicks had an advantage in 2023 free agency. It wasn't that the team had just made a push to the second round of the playoffs, although that helped. Instead, it was the Villanova connection.

Donte DiVincenzo was on the Knicks' radar entering free agency, but that wasn't the only radar he was on. The sharpshooting guard garnered interest from teams such as the Bulls, Magic, and Timberwolves. If the Warriors could've afforded to keep him, DiVincenzo likely would've stayed in Golden State.

The first evening of free agency came and went without DiVincenzo's decision. New York fans had to wait until the evening of the second day for the notification that the guard was signing with the Knicks. He agreed to a four-year, $50 million deal, which, in retrospect, was a steal.

On Wednesday, The Athletic's Fred Katz and Anthony Slater published a piece about DiVincenzo's connection with former teammate Steph Curry. In it, Katz and Slater revealed that according to sources, Minnesota was a "serious suitor" to sign DiVincenzo (subscription required).

Timberwolves were 'serious suitor' to steal Donte DiVincenzo from Knicks in free agency

DiVincenzo turned to Curry for advice on which direction he should take, and the Warriors superstar echoed that his teammate should sign with New York. DiVincenzo said that Curry "reinforced" how he felt about the Knicks.

New York was at the forefront of DiVincenzo's mind anyway, so it's not as if Curry swayed DiVincenzo to the Knicks. Still, he came in clutch with a timely assist.

Minnesota is the top team in the West with a 41-17 record, so imagine what the Timberwolves would look like if they had snagged DiVincenzo.

He's shooting a career-high 41.6% from three for an average of 13.9 points per game, another career-best. Of course, part of that has to do with the Knicks environment he's in, but his shooting and pesky defense would've been another weapon for Minnesota.

Thank goodness the Timberwolves hadn't assembled a Villanova squad before free agency like the Knicks. Luckily, the lure of New York was too strong for DiVincenzo to ignore!