Unpopular Opinion: The Knicks should trade Donte Divincenzo if it means getting a star

 After the shocking implosion of the Phoenix Suns in this year’s playoffs I’d be willing to bet many teams look at how a starting lineup should be built. Even though we are still in the thick of the first round, many people have already started looking at how the Suns mortgaged their future to unite Bradley Beal and Kevin Durant with Devin Booker. Critics point to teams like the Nuggets and Knicks who both have a combination of youth and veteran presence that compliments each individual. I do think this is a sound argument from what it looks like as both of these teams are on to the second round. The Knicks in particular have made pundits more closely examine how an organization should be run as they have united three players who played together in college with Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and Donte Divincenzo. While Brunson’s all star breakout is the big catalyst for the Knicks being the two seed, fans believe ownership should get a lot of the credit for their ability to bring in role players. That is why I know I will be in the minority with this opinion, but I think if the Knicks want to take the next step towards title contendership, they should maximize on Donte Divincenzo’s current value and trade him. 

     We all know how valuable the three pointer is in today’s league. That being said, is someone who’s main skill is shooting three pointers very valuable? I think the answer is no. Since Julius Randle got hurt in late January, Divincenzo has stepped up immensely. He has been otherworldly shooting the ball at some points. But what should New York do when Randle returns next season. His touches are going to inevitably go down and I just don’t see a career 10 ppg player being untouchable in an important offseason for the Knicks. While New York does have great all around defense, they should probably pair Jalen Brunson with someone a little better defensively at the shooting guard position. Although Divincenzo has made strides in his all- around offensive game he is still mainly a catch and shoot guy under Tom Thibodeau. And it should not be that difficult to find someone in the current NBA. 

     So who would the Knicks go after if they part ways with the guard they just signed this past offseason? They could just upgrade at the two position where Divincenzo plays and pair Brunson with another shot creator to take some of the load off of him late in games. They could also get a more dynamic wing to pair with OG Anunoby. I also feel they have missed some playmaking off the bench since Immanuel Quickley was dealt away to Toronto. Although big contracts and missing out on some depth hurts some teams, other squads have made it work by addressing a certain need when looking for an all star caliber player. The Rudy Gobert experiment is finally working in Minnesota since him and Karl Anthony Towns don’t have to be on the floor at the same time together. The Celtics got Jrue Holiday so Jayson Tatum doesn’t have to create all the offense in the fourth quarter for Boston. I think if the Knicks want to compete with the western conference, they need to be a little aggressive. 

    Another argument against parting ways with the former Wildcat is that some would rather see Julius Randle go. Randle has held the Knicks back at times with inconsistent play. Those same advocates would also point to the fact that the Knicks are performing fine without him. Well, getting off of Randle’s multi-year contract is going to be tough. He will be going into the offseason coming off shoulder surgery. He also will not slide easily into any team’s offensive scheme since he is so ball dominant. Any team that trades for him would have to change their approach a lot. This is why it has to be Divincenzo for me. He is making enough money on his contract to make a trade for a star financially viable. He is only 27 years old, and the Knicks have a good amount of draft capital that a team might be interested in. It would also be a win for Divincenzo. While I think he may be the odd man out in Manhattan, he has proven he can be a starter in the association.