Donte DiVincenzo has one more chance to add to his growing list of championship trophies.
DiVincenzo has won two DIAA state championships in Salesianum, two NCAA Tournament championships in Villanova, and an NBA title in 2021 with the Milwaukee Bucks†
He gets a shot at a second NBA title after reportedly agreeing to a free-agent contract with the Golden State Warriors on fridaynight. The Warriors, led by Steph Curry† Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, are two weeks away from beating the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals, and the Warriors should be among the favorites next season.
ESPN reported that after one season, DiVincenzo will sign a two-year deal worth $9.3 million with a player option. The Bucks traded DiVincenzo for the Sacramento Kings midway through last season.
The Bucks fielded DiVincenzo in the first round of 2018, 17th overall, making him the second Delaware native to be taken in the first round of the NBA draft. From that moment on, Bones Hyland was a first round pick (26th overall) of the Denver Nuggets in 2021, and Jalen Duren was chosen as No. 13 by the Charlotte Hornets last week.
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DiVincenzo was a key player for the Bucks on their way to the playoffs last season. In fact, Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo called him the ‘heart of the team’ after a March 2021 game against the 76ers.
But DiVincenzo tore an ankle ligament in the first-round series against the Miami Heat and missed the rest of the postseason as the Bucks won their first NBA championship in 50 years. It was DiVincenzo’s second major injury in three seasons with Milwaukee. He also missed most of his rookie season in 2018-19 with a foot injury.
Last season’s injury continued into this season as DiVincenzo missed the first 34 games before returning. He struggled to find his rhythm after emerging as a starter the previous season. He averaged 7.2 points in 20.1 minutes per game in 17 games last season with the Bucks before the trade. His shooting rate was 33.1%. Both were short of DiVincenzo’s career best in the 2020-21 season, when he averaged 10.4 points in 27.5 minutes and shot 42%.
DiVincenzo outperformed the Kings, who missed the playoffs, averaging 10.3 points in 26.6 minutes and hitting 36.2%.
DiVincenzo became a restricted free agent after the season, but the Kings had turned him down a $6.6 million qualifying offer, making him an unrestricted free agent who could sign with any team.
The Warriors dove in on day two of NBA free agency to get hold of DiVincenzo, who they expect to complement marksmen Curry and Thompson, while replacing defensive specialist Gary Payton II, who signs with Portland.
It seems like an ideal match to add a player with a championship pedigree in DiVincenzo to a team with a championship pedigree in the Warriors, with four championships in the last eight seasons.
Please contact Martin Frank at [email protected]. Follow on Twitter @Mfranknfl.
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Donte DiVincenzo signs with Golden State Warriors, Stephen Curry