Donte DiVincenzo declines player option; Top 5 landing spots
SAN FRANCISCO (BVM) – Donte DiVincenzo will decline his $4.7 million player option for the 2023-24 season with the Golden State Warriors and enter unrestricted free agency. The news came just a week after Warriors teammate Draymond Green also declined his player option ($27.5 million) to enter unrestricted free agency for the first time in his career.
DiVincenzo’s decision shouldn’t come as a surprise since the 26-year-old guard outplayed the two-year, $9.2 million contract that he signed with Golden State after coming over from the Sacramento Kings.
After working his way into the Warriors’ starting lineup for the final 25 games of the 2022-23 season (24 starts), DiVincenzo put up 10.3 points and 5.1 rebounds during that span. He averaged 9.4 points on 39.7% shooting from deep (career high) to go along with 4.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists for the season.
A season-high performance by Donte DiVincenzo in the Warriors win 😤
22 PTS (season-high)
7 REB
5 AST
4 threes pic.twitter.com/hcjjt0BdfF— NBA (@NBA) January 14, 2023
DiVincenzo was one of just five players to start between 15-40 games and average at least nine points, three assists and shoot at least 37% from deep. The other four were Austin Reaves, Tyus Jones, Caris LeVert and Immanuel Quickley. When DiVincenzo played between 30-39 minutes last season, Golden State was 15-10.
Winning seems to follow DiVincenzo wherever he goes. He won two national championships (2016, 2018) at Villanova – including being named the 2018 NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player – before helping the Milwaukee Bucks win their first NBA title (2021) in franchise history with his best season as a pro (his 10.4 points and 5.8 rebounds that season are both career highs).
Because DiVincenzo accrued non-bird rights, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks, the most Golden State can offer him in a new contract is $5.4 million but his shooting, defense (15th in total steals in 2022-23) and championship experience will be worth much more. With that in mind, here are the five possible landing spots for DiVincenzo after declining his 2023-24 player option.
