For the first deal on the day of the NBA trade deadline, the Milwaukee Bucks traded 25-year-old guard Donte DiVincenzo to the Sacramento Kings.
That deal doesn’t have too many massive basketball implications for the reigning champions except to confirm that Grayson Allen is a solid piece in their rotation. But it is particularly interesting because it’s not the first time the Bucks have agreed to trade DiVincenzo to the Kings.
Back in Nov. 2020, Milwaukee actually agreed to a sign-and-trade sending DiVincenzo (among other pieces) to Sacramento in exchange for free agent wing Bogdan Bogdanovic.
The Kings finally get their guy in Donte DiVincenzo. They previously tried to acquire him in the 2020 offseason in a botched sign-and-trade. He will become a restricted free agent this offseason.
They need to trade or cut 2 players prior to making this trade.
— Yossi Gozlan (@YossiGozlan) February 10, 2022
The trade was voided, however, after the league found the Bucks guilty of tampering to land Bogdanovic. After the investigation, Milwaukee was forced to forfeit the rights to their second-round pick in the upcoming 2022 NBA draft.
Bogdanovic went on to join the Hawks and DiVincenzo, despite the awkward scenario, actually stayed with the Bucks.
The former Villanova standout even started all 66 games that he played for Milwaukee in 2021-22. However, he suffered a severe left ankle injury and only played three postseason games in Milwaukee’s pursuit of the title.
Upon his return this season, DiVincenzo lost his spot in the first unit. The majority of his counting stats are significantly lower than they have been since his first season in the league.
good thing donte divincenzo has already researched where he wants to live in sacramento
— James Herbert (@outsidethenba) February 10, 2022
However, based on today’s trade, it is clear that Sacramento’s front office never lost interest in the two-time collegiate national champion.
The Kings, after trading Tyrese Haliburton to the Indiana Pacers, will have plenty of opportunities for DiVincenzo to recoup some of the value he had lost thus far this season before he enters restricted free agent this offseason.
Now in the Western Conference, he will have a chance to show Sacramento’s front office exactly what they liked about him when they tried to acquire him back in Nov. 2020.
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