The Knicks are all in a Villanova meeting after adding free agent Donte DiVincenzo, but they had to exercise just to make the signing a reality.
First, Josh Hart had to exercise his $12.9 million player option in order for New York to remain under the luxury tax. Subsequently, the Knicks traded former lottery pick Obi Toppin to the Indiana Pacers for two second-round picks.
Those two moves allowed the Knicks to use their noncontributing midfield exception to sign DiVincenzo to a four-year, $50 million contract.
DiVincenzo’s signing adds some solutions but also adds many questions to the future of the Knicks.
In recent history, the Knicks have had success with Villanova players. Jalen Brunson turned into a star last year after signing as a free agent, and New York found instant success after picking up Hart from the Trailblazers on the trade deadline.
The hope is that DiVincenzo, who played under Brunson and Hart at Villanova, can follow suit and further improve the New York roster.