Two-time MVP Stephen Curry thinks the Knicks made a wise decision in signing him Donte DiVincenzo.
“He’s all about basketball, he’s all about winning. He brings great energy to the locker room,” the Warriors star said Thursday while discussing his golf game ahead of the American Century Championships. “I used to call him the vet even though he’s quite young just because he has that kind of spirit about him. He is playing well past his years. He’s good on both sides of the ball, he can play better than most people probably realize. So he fills a lot of gaps in a team.”
DiVincenzo averaged 9.4 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game with the Golden State Warriors last season. He scored those numbers in just 26 minutes per game. He also scored 39.7 percent of his three-point attempts last year, trailing only Curry and Clay Thompson in this category.
The Knicks had targeted DiVincenzo early in the offseason. They signed a four-year, $50 million deal on day two of free agency, reuniting him with Villanova teammates Jalen Brunson And Josh Hart.
Curry said Thursday he understands DiVincenzo is leaving Golden State to play a bigger role in New York.
“He’s not selfish about — I know he wants to start and be that guy — but he also understands where value can be created on a team, no matter what role you’re taking on,” says Curry, a four-timer NBA champion said. “He bought in right away and was rewarded for it.”
Curry recalled a conversation with DiVincenzo in the 2022 offseason when the 26-year-old was considering taking on Golden State as a free agent.
“I know he was recovering from an injury and was trying to find a situation that might help him figure out who he is as an NBA player and the value he brings to winning teams. And he’s proven that with us all year,” Curry said. “He knows how to play the game. You can say. He won at the highest level in college. And the Knicks scored well. I’m glad he got his fair share of this CBA too. So it was good.”
Curry is believed to be a 12-1 favorite at the American Century Championship, a celebrity tournament that raised $7 million for charity.
The field also includes Dell Curry, Charles Barkley, Aaron Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes, and Josh Allen And John Elway. The celebs are competing for $600,000 in prize money.
What’s next for the Knicks?
New York still has about $750,000 of its mid-level non-taxpayer exemption after the DiVincenzo deal. The Knicks can also sign players through the veteran minimum exemption or semi-annual exemption (semi-annual exemption starts at $4.5 million).
They hit the luxury tax threshold of $165 million. It’s possible the Knicks won’t want to exceed the luxury tax given the onerous tax bills that could come in the coming seasons. But I don’t feel like there’s an order from the Knicks governor to continue observing the tax James Dolan. There’s a salary threshold that the Knicks can’t exceed; Because New York exercised the mid-tier exemption on DiVincenzo, the club cannot exceed a team salary of $172 million.
Further steps on the horizon: a possible trade in Evan Fournier and the Josh Hart Renewal. A team that tracks the value of expiring contracts in trades says New York is keen on Fournier’s contract, which is valued at $18.8 million for 2023-24 and has a team option for 2024-25 . Hart is eligible for an extension of up to four years and up to $81 million. I would expect it to be under the max number.