After being included in the failed Bogdan Bogdanovic sign-and-trade deal, Donte DiVincenzo’s development will be an X-factor for the Milwaukee Bucks this season.
It’s no secret that the Milwaukee Bucks‘ offseason wasn’t exactly executed to their grand vision, even as the biggest question still remains unanswered.
There was no better example of that than the whole Bogdan Bogdanovic mess that has now overshadowed the Bucks’ offseason for better or for worse. The pipe dream that turned out to be acquiring someone of Bogdanovic, combined with the massive overhaul that it took to land Jrue Holiday, has created an uneasy feeling, all while Giannis Antetokounmpo’s long-term future hangs in the balance.
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For Donte DiVincenzo, that sign-and-trade deal would have meant going to Sacramento in what would have been the first major move of his career since entering the NBA.
The sea change that would have been going to an environment focused on winning at the highest level to a team that is looking to end their 14-year playoff drought in a stacked Western Conference could have been disastrous for DiVincenzo as he entered his third NBA season.
Fortunately for DiVincenzo, he stays put in the place that he’s called his basketball home since being selected with the 17th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft and continues his development with a team that holds title aspirations.
The Milwaukee Bucks’ failed ploy for Bogdan Bogdanovic may be a blessing in disguise for Donte DiVincenzo.
As he talked about during his Media Day appearance on Friday afternoon, DiVincenzo is not lacking in motivation going into the 2020-21 campaign. Not after nearly being traded and certainly not after having struggled to the degree that he did down in the bubble as the Bucks’ 2019-20 run went down in flames.
For someone that certainly looked up to the part of playing a critical role when it has mattered most, it was an unforeseen step back that sullied what was a such a bright spot in the Bucks’ run last year as a whole. That pressure has not dissipated for DiVincenzo, especially as he has a path to seeing even more minutes going into this year and the Bucks have a vacancy in their starting lineup.
As the Bucks have rejiggered their internal core that has since grown with the second round selections of Sam Merrill and Jordan Nwora, DiVincenzo stands as the most crucial rookie-scale prospect to their title hopes. With the experience and poise he has shown, even before coming to Milwaukee, DiVincenzo has a knack of rising to the biggest moments.
Had the trade gone through, all that would have been wasted on a team that has a long shot to be in the playoff picture out in the West when all is said and done. As DiVincenzo talked more in-depth during his Media Day appearance, which you watch here via Bucks.com, he is grateful to have the opportunity to play for the team that took a chance on him more close to two-and-a-half years ago:
"“You know, this is the organization that drafted me. I’m staying here and I’m very thankful. This is no knock on any other team in the league, but this is the team that gave me the opportunity to start my career and I’m forever thankful for that and I give my all to Milwaukee, the city, the staff. I’m very thankful to be here and to be able to continue this journey and continue building on what we started.”"
Just as was the case last season, the Bucks have placed great expectations on DiVincenzo’s continued development and he is looking to make good on the opportunity he has in Milwaukee. It’ll be like he had never left.