Donte DiVincenzo had a tough season in 2021-22, trying to find his place in the league again after an injury saw him miss 6 months of action. DiVincenzo was traded to the Kings earlier and then signed with the Golden State Warriors on a 2-year deal as a free agent.
However, things could have been different for DiVincenzo, with reports suggesting that the Lakers considered signing the guard in free agency. However, his injury seems to have impacted him in more ways than just keeping him off the court, as Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times suggested that those concerns were the reason the Lakers didn’t end up pursuing DiVincenzo.
“Another league insider pointed to the lack of shooting, in general, in this free-agency class within the team’s price range,” Woike wrote. “Guard Donte DiVincenzo, who has only a slightly better career three-point percentage than (Lonnie) Walker, was considered but eventually bypassed because of injury concerns. He signed with the Golden State Warriors for $4.5 million.”
The Lakers instead went with Lonnie Walker IV, who is expected to add defense to the team’s roster. DiVincenzo was a solid rotation piece during his time in Milwaukee, but the fact that they traded him and that his injury was quite a severe one makes it understandable that the Lakers chose not to pursue him.
Donte is unlikely to be too upset about how this has played out. The Warriors have a history of developing role players and turning them into impactful players. Considering that the team is just coming off of a championship, the atmosphere is also likely to be a helpful one for DiVincenzo.
The former Bucks player averages 9 points and 4.6 rebounds per game throughout his career and would have been a solid addition to the Lakers roster. However, if the team can get their hands on Kyrie Irving, then the players around them will likely not even be a topic of conversation.
