A league-high payroll and looming tax penalties kept the Warriors from being major spenders this offseason, but they made a splash with the signing of free-agent guard Donte DiVincenzo. Golden State inked him to a two-year, $9.3 million deal with a player option for the second year, which many view as a low-risk high-reward proposition for the Dubs.
DiVincenzo joined 95.7 The Game’s “Damon & Ratto” Wednesday to discuss why he picked Golden State and how it feels to join the reigning champs. Check out the full interview below:
“It came down to culture and environment for me,” DiVincenzo said. “When I think about my career, I wanna be in this league for a very long time.”
Championships are nothing new for the 25-year-old DiVincenzo. He became a key role player for the Milwaukee Bucks in 2020-21, earned a starting shooting guard spot and helped the team win a championship. DiVincenzo said he’s received similar vibes already from Golden State.
“It gives me the vibes of being back in Milwaukee,” DiVincenzo said. “A couple years ago playing with like Jrue (Holiday), Khris (Middleton) and Giannis (Antetokounmpo), playing guys who are All-Stars and MVP-caliber players. Giannis and Steph. That was more of it. I know what I did on a team like that. I know how I can contribute on a team that is that good, championship-caliber team, just how I can fit in. I don’t need my number called, I don’t need anything like that. Just doing what I do best, complimenting guys like that.”
DiVincenzo started 66 games in 2020-21, averaging 10.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 2.0 made 3-pointers per game while shooting 42 percent from the floor and 37.9 percent from 3-point range. But he underwent ankle surgery after the season and could never get it going with the Bucks to start 2021-22 before being dealt to the Sacramento Kings in February.
Otto Porter Jr. had a bit of injury history his previous few seasons before joining Golden State last year. He appeared in 63 games, his most since 2017-18, before winning a ring and locking up a multiyear deal with the Toronto Raptors this offseason. Gary Payton II latched on as 15th man this year, before establishing himself and earning a three-year contract from the Portland Trailblazers. DiVincenzo noticed that, too.
“You just see what the Warriors have done with certain guys who have come in,” DiVincenzo said. “You look at Otto last year and you look at GP2, they’ve done an amazing job of developing those guys. Otto battled a few injuries. it’s something where I’m 100 percent healthy but it’s still in the back of my mind and it’s something where that definitely weighed into my decision.”
The Warriors don’t need him to be a star, they have plenty of those. If DiVincenzo can play solid defense, hit open shots, push in transition, grab some rebounds and handle wings on defensive switches, Golden State would be ecstatic.
“I love playing defense-first,” DiVincenzo said. “Because when you play defense-first you get so many easier opportunities in transition and make runs that way.”
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DiVincenzo has also been spotted at Las Vegas Summer League talking with his new coach Steve Kerr. They didn’t speak much about his specific role, more about how he’d fit into the team’s culture.
“He played,” DiVincenzo said. “As a former player he gets it and he understands how to communicate with players."
DiVincenzo might be making $4.5 million this season, but he still has sticker shock at the Bay Area housing prices.
"We make good money as NBA players, but all I gotta say is a lot of that money is going to rent,” DiVincenzo said.
Welcome to The Bay, Donte.
