DiVincenzo signs with Knicks, reunites with Brunson, Hart

Is it time to rename it the Villanova Knicks?

Another Wildcat is headed to the Big Apple. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Donte DiVincenzo finalized a deal on Saturday night to join the New York Knicks, where he’ll also reunite with former teammates Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart.

DiVincenzo, 26, is coming off of a solid season with the Golden State Warriors. He averaged 9.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists, while shooting 39.7% from long range. He appeared in 72 regular season games this past year, which includes 36 starts.

DiVincenzo opted out of the final year of his contract with the Warriors, turning down a $4.7 million player option. The expectation was he would see a big raise and a number of suitors vying for him in free agency, as one of the hottest targets and role players to watch this summer.

The 6-foot-4 guard got his big payday. According to his agent, Jason Glushon, they agreed to a four-year, $50 million contract.

DiVincenzo is heading into his sixth NBA season. He was drafted in the first round of the 2018 NBA Draft by the Milwaukee Bucks, whom he played with from 2018-21. He was part of the Bucks’ 2021 NBA championship team. Although he missed the postseason with an injury, he played a major role that year and started in 66 regular season games.

He was traded midway through the 2021-22 season to Sacramento, then eventually wound up with Golden State for all of last season.

DiVincenzo will look to thrive in New York, like his college teammates. The Villanova trio all overlapped for the Wildcats’ 2016 national championship run.

Then, Brunson and DiVincenzo went on to win a second national title in 2018. DiVincenzo was named the Final Four Most Outstanding Player in their return to the top.

Brunson is coming off of a career-best season with the Knicks, emerging as a star and averaging 24.0 points and 6.2 assists, while shooting 41.6% from long range.

As for Hart, he was a quality midseason addition for the Knicks, after a trade with the Portland Trail Blazers. Hart made an immediate impact upon arrival and provided a much-needed spark for the second-half of the season.

The Knicks went 47-35 this past year, and won their first playoff series in a decade by defeating Cleveland in the opening round. They were eliminated in the following round by eventual runner-ups Miami Heat.