Kevon Looney and Gary Payton II were two rotation guys that were instrumental in helping the Golden State Warriors win their fourth title in six years. While Looney will be returning to the Bay Area, losing Payton II will be a tough pill for Dub fans to swallow.
The Dubs already lost Nemanja Bjelica overseas and Juan Toscano Anderson to the Lakers. Otto Porter also left earlier for Toronto after securing a deal that was more lucrative than what the Warriors qualifying offer. Much of their key role players will be different next year, but the main core remains intact.
With the losses to all their key wing players, it’s pretty obvious that the team desperately needs to figure out how to restock their perimeter players. Outside of Looney, almost every key wing player that was a free agent has bolted for better deals elsewhere.
Thankfully, the Dubs did just that, nabbing an impact wing player from their rivals across the Bay Bridge.
Donte DiVincenzo Has Pedigree Playing with Superstars
Late July 1, the Athletic’s Shams Charania reported that the Warriors came to an agreement with Donte DiVincenzo for a two-year deal. The deal would total $9.3 million and gives DiVincenzo the chance to opt out with a players’ option after the first season.
Free agent Donte DiVincenzo has agreed to a two-year, $9.3 million deal with the Golden State Warriors, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Player option in Year 2.
Before his stint with the Sacramento Kings, DiVincenzo played for the Milwaukee Bucks. For his first three and half seasons, the guard was a steady contributor, helping play a key bench role for the contenders. Even though he won a title with the Bucks in the 2020-21 season, DiVicenzo failed to play a key role deep in the playoffs, due to a severe left ankle injury he suffered against the Miami Heat in the first round of the playoffs.
According to Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype the Dubs used a portion of their mid-level exception to sign DiVincenzo. The remaining amount of their MLE went to their newly drafted rookie Ryan Rollins. The taxpayer mid-level exception is expected to be $6,392,000 for this upcoming season.
With the signing of DiVincenzo, the Warriors’ luxury tax stands at about $145.5 million for 11 total players, according to Gozlan. This was the primary reason the Dubs could not keep their role players. With their main core getting paid so handsomely, their financial flexibility was capped, and could not compete with other more competitive offers from other teams.
What Donte DiVincenzo Will Bring to Warriors
Throughout the Villanova guard’s NBA career, he has made his bones as a floor spacer, providing quality shot-making from the perimeter and the ability to be a ball-handler as a backup point guard.
He is not the same defensive player as Payton II, but DiVencenzo’s defense has not been that bad. His per 36 minutes has his steal rate close to about two per game. He has been known to provide good all-around stats when having to play a starter’s role temporarily.
When the Dubs plan to rest their veteran role players during the regular season, expect DiVincenzo to play a bulk of their minutes and do a solid job about with it. The Dubs are not done filling out their roster, so expect more movement in the days to come.
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Warriors Snag Wing Guard from Crosstown Rivals