The Knicks know this feeling all too well: once Donte DiVincenzo is in your building, you do not want to let him go.
That’s the same vibe coming out of Minnesota right now, where the Timberwolves are reportedly trying to keep DiVincenzo while working through the salary pieces needed to finalize the Jonathan Kuminga deal. ESPN reported that Minnesota is trying to trade Josh Green instead, a move that would let the Wolves hold onto DiVo even after agreeing to sign Kuminga.
For New York, that instinct hits close to home.
Before the 2024-25 season, the Knicks sent Julius Randle, DiVincenzo and a protected first-round pick to Minnesota in the Karl-Anthony Towns trade. New York didn’t want to part with DiVincenzo, but the Timberwolves made it clear he had to be included to get Towns. The Knicks went through with it, and the deal ultimately worked out, with KAT helping them win it all in June.
Still, the loss of DiVincenzo stung. A lot.
His lone season in New York was the kind of run that sticks with a fan base. He averaged a career-high 15.5 points per game and shot 40.1% from three on 8.7 attempts per game.
And if Knicks fans needed one moment to lock him into memory forever, it was the go-ahead three-pointer he buried against the Sixers in Game 2 of the 2024 playoffs. That one lived loud the second it left his hands.
What made him so easy to embrace was more than the shooting. It was the edge, the energy, the nonstop competitive streak. That’s why Knicks fans still talk about him like someone they’d gladly welcome back, even if the math doesn’t really line up and even if he won’t be available at the start of next season, and likely not for several months after that.
DiVincenzo is recovering from a ruptured right Achilles tendon suffered in the first round of the 2026 playoffs against Denver, so his timeline already complicates any possible movement. Even so, Minnesota seems intent on keeping him, which says plenty about how much they value him.
He’s on an expiring $12.5 million contract, so unrestricted free agency is coming next summer. That could eventually open the door to a change again, but for now, he looks like he’s found a home in Minnesota.
And in a roundabout way, the Knicks are part of the reason that happened. If the trade had gone differently, they would have gotten Towns and kept DiVincenzo.
In Other News...
Mike Breen Identified What Defined The Knicks Under Finals Pressure
Mike Breen stepped into the SNY broadcast booth during a Mets game and used the moment to reflect on the Knicks championship path, zeroing in on the mental side of their 2026 NBA Finals run. What stood out to him was how the group handled pressure as a unit, with playoff-tested veterans and willing role players helping the Knicks absorb the stress of an NBA Finals stage that can rattle even the most talented teams.
Across the first two games against the San Antonio Spurs, New York had to play from behind and still found a way to settle in and make winning plays late. Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart each had their turns carrying the load, but Breens point was broader than any one performance: the Knicks title push was built on collective sacrifice, and that showed up every time the game started tilting the wrong way. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks Veteran Big Search Just Got More Interesting In Portland
Portlands backcourt depth took a serious hit with Shaedon Sharpe expected to miss six months because of a torn meniscus, and that kind of injury ripple can alter more than just the rotation. For a Blazers team already juggling its roster, the pressure now falls on the front office to make sure every spot is doing real work, especially after claiming center Micah Potter off waivers.
Potters situation is the one worth watching from a Knicks perspective. Portland is over capacity and already has two centers ahead of him, which could make him the odd man out if the Blazers need to clear room elsewhere. If he becomes available, New York has reason to look closely, because the Knicks still have a need for a veteran big man. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks Suddenly Look Like A Real Landing Spot For Kelly Olynyk
Kelly Olynyk is still on the market, and the pool of obvious landing spots has narrowed after Golden State used its final roster openings elsewhere. That leaves the veteran big man weighing a familiar kind of late-summer uncertainty, with a handful of teams still in the mix and the chance of a standard contract looking slimmer by the day.
The Knicks, though, suddenly stand out as a place where Olynyk could actually compete for a spot rather than simply wait for one to open up. A training-camp invite or another non-guaranteed arrangement would give New York a low-risk look at a player who could fit into its center depth, and for Olynyk it would create a real path to stick around if he can make the case on the floor. [Read more 🡒]