“I was hurt, kind of sad, and then you transition to the next process of the job, the business aspect, and just understanding you move forward and now my mind is completely in Minnesota, and that’s it.” Donte DiVincenzo chose to hand out a professional response after being asked about his trade to Minnesota. The last-minute surprising Karl-Anthony Towns trade ended up reportedly sending Donte to another team against his wishes. While he gave a diplomatic response earlier, he was quick to change his tone recently.

During the ongoing Timberwolves-Knicks matchup, Donte DiVincenzo was reportedly heard getting into a heated argument with his former head coach, Tom Thibodeau. Earlier, it was reported that the player had said, “Thank you for the trade Thibs. Thank you for the trade… that’s what happens when they let you run the show. That’s what happens when they let you run the show,” before he dropped a foul shot. However, the situation between them didn’t cool down later on.

While the remark made towards Thibodeau would’ve been missed by those who weren’t paying attention, the conversation between Donte DiVincenzo and Jalen Brunson’s dad took place amidst many. The crowd had to pull both individuals away! The microphones weren’t able to catch the audio. With the memory of the trade still fresh in the minds of fans and players alike, a confrontation of this nature was expected to happen sooner than later. What wasn’t expected, however, is that it would take place in such a public setting.

When asked about the incident during the post-game presser, Donte DiVincenzo candidly said, “Obviously, they had me on video saying it. I’m not there anymore. I play competitive. I wear my heart on my sleeve and that’s all it was. There’s absolutely nothing but love from my end to the organization.” As highlighted by NBA reporter Steve Popper, “when a reply came it escalated. He said the postgame part will be addressed privately.”

However, even Thibodeau chose to not make things too messy, simply stating, “Two competitive guys, stuff like that does happen.”

Playing in NY for only a season and including Donte DiVincenzo in the trade to acquire KAT would have surprised many. After all, the player had joined the franchise under a 4-year, $46.87 million contract, with the full amount guaranteed. His performance was exceptional, as he averaged 15.5 points, the highest of his career, accompanied by 3.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists.

His career-high 40 points came back in March when going up against the Detroit Pistons, and the 11 three-pointers he made to reach that score set a new franchise record! Therefore, it certainly wasn’t the performance that drove the player away, and the Knicks had a perfectly reasonable salary cap, thanks to Jalen Brunson taking a cut on his pay.

However, Donte DiVincenzo was one of the sticky points as the Knicks looked to fulfill their need for a Center. After all, Minnesota reportedly wanted the shooting guard. While the NY side was reportedly reluctant to move him, they had to decide. Lo and behold, the deal was done, and DiVincenzo was made another unhappy victim of the major offseason trade.

While many reasons can be attributed to the player’s unhappiness, not being able to play with his former Villanova teammates may be one of the strong ones. Even if it was, the hooper had chosen to give a different answer publicly.

Was Donte DiVincenzo upset because of the breakup of the ‘Villanova Four?’

During their pre-NBA days with the Villanova Wildcats, Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart, Jalen Brunson, and Donte DiVincenzo found early success, winning the NCAA championship in 2016 and 2018. Upon joining the NBA, the group spread out. And earlier this year, when it was announced that Bridges would be sent to the Knicks, no one was more excited than the NY trio!

Josh Hart would later share a screenshot of the Villanova four’s group video call, giving fans a glimpse of the faces that would’ve been the front of the Knicks roster for the upcoming years. Unfortunately, that dream was too good to be true.

Despite everything, Donte DiVincenzo made it clear that not getting to play with his college teammates was not a reason for him to get upset. He put out a statement saying, “Take the Villanova s–t out of it. I was super excited because we have a very good player coming back to the team. There was never a conversation of my role was going to be diminished.” At the same time, he had stated that he wasn’t upset with the trade either. If recent events tell us anything, it is that DiVincenzo certainly holds some resentment.

By putting up 15 points during the Timberwolves’ 115-110 loss to the Knicks, the 2021 champion showed that he is still willing to give his best, even if it involves going up against his old team. While it is unlikely for another trash-talk incident to come up during the regular season, fans may still keep their eyes peeled for the same. Thoughts on the entire saga?

Before you go, remember to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Silas Demary Jr.