The NBA‘s new, more punitive luxury tax structure is being rolled out gradually to ease the incredible burden on big-spending teams. However, the Golden State Warriors have already been impacted by the restructuring from a roster standpoint.
Donte DiVincenzo — who was signed by the Dubs last summer using an exception that won’t be available to the team in the new ecosystem — has officially flown the coop after just one year in the Bay. The five-year pro inked a four-year, $46.9 million deal with the New York Knicks early in free agency.
It was the kind of contract that Golden State simply wasn’t going to offer given its growing tax plight. Regardless, there don’t appear to be any hard feelings on DiVincenzo’s part, as the baller just sent out a heartfelt goodbye to his old crew via Instagram.
“GSW family, From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU!! Much love, #0,” DiVincenzo posted on Thursday along with a picture of himself in his Warriors gear before a game.
Donte DiVincenzo Had an Eventful Single-Season Run With the Warriors
When DiVincenzo put pen to paper on his deal with the Warriors in 2022, there was an expectation that he would play a big part in helping them defend their title — not just from fans and pundits but also the players who helped to secure the signing.
“[Stephen Curry] and I definitely put the full-court press on Donte, and understanding how important that addition is. With losing [Gary Payton II in free agency], you add another wing who can defend,” said Draymond Green on his podcast at the time.
Alas, things got weird in a hurry for the guard and his new club. First, there was the big training camp scuffle between Green and Jordan Poole. Then, in just his third game in a Dubs uniform, DiVincenzo suffered a hamstring injury that resulted in an eight-game absence.
The Warriors were struggling on the court as well as behind the scenes. And when DiVincenzo returned to the lineup, he encountered big issues while trying to reintegrate.
Over the back half of the campaign, though, the Warriors battled their way back into the swing of things, and so, too, did DiVincenzo.
From January 13 through the end of the regular season — a sample size of 41 games — DiVincenzo averaged 11.0 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.4 steals in 28.2 minutes per game while shooting 40.8% from deep.
It’s that performance that earned him the sweet deal he landed with the Knicks. So, while DiVincenzo and the Dubs fell woefully short of their championship goals, it was hardly a lost campaign for the former NCAA tourney hero.
B/R Makes Prediction on Brandin Podziemski’s Role, Usage
Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman just dropped a series of predictions on whether each 2023 first-round pick will spend the bulk of their rookie seasons as starters, bench players or G Leaguers.
Where Golden State’s Brandin Podziemski was concerned, the NBA Draft guru predicted we’ll see the rookie acting as a sparkplug off the bench with the big club. Wrote Wasserman:
Hustle and instinct plays could ultimately help separate the rookie and drive his value this year, as Podziemski has an unteachable knack for tracking down misses, winning rebounding battles and forcing turnovers. Although he was mostly known for scoring in college, he’s the type of player who can fill a box score and make an impact when his shot isn’t falling.
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Ex-Warrior Donte DiVincenzo Says Heartfelt Goodbye to Dub Nation