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NBA rumors: Harden trade update, Knicks crazy MVP hopes … – FanSided
James Harden, Philadelphia 76ers (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
Donte DiVincenzo (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
The New York Knicks lured Donte DiVincenzo away from the Golden State Warriors in free agency with a four-year, $50 million contract. He now joins Villanova teammates Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart as the Knicks look to improve upon last season’s second-round finish.
This is tremendous value for the Knicks, who get one of the league’s most productive role players from a season ago. DiVincenzo is the perfect Thibs player, hard-nosed on the defensive end with advanced decision-making skills and enough offensive spark to get by.
DiVincenzo should carve out plenty of minutes despite New York’s loaded backcourt. He’s strong at the point of attack and supplies enough positional flexibility to share the court with a couple guards at a time when needed. Between DiVincenzo, Quentin Grimes, and Immanuel Quickley, New York has one of the deepest backcourt supporting casts in the NBA.
But, there’s a fun wrinkle in Donte’s new contract that could end up biting the Knicks at a later date. His contract is peppered with ‘unlikely’ incentives, according to Fred Katz of the Athletic (subscription required). Incentives that are tied to events like winning MVP or Defensive Player of the Year or Sixth Man of the Year, all of which are categorically unlikely.
Some of those incentives are more unlikely than others — sorry to burst your bubble Knicks fans, but no, Donte DiVincenzo is not a sleeper candidate for MVP. However, the Knicks are treading dangerously close to the hard cap which, under the new CBA, could drastically impact their ability to swing a major trade. And, well, the Knicks are more prepared than most teams to swing a big trade when the opportunity arises. It would be a shame if their opportunity went down the drain because of Donte’s atypical contract structure.
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