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The Sacramento Kings swung a move for Donte DiVincenzo during last year's trade deadline likely with the hopes of turning him into a young piece for their future. Now that vision is starting to look a little bleak.
According a report from Kings insider James Ham for ESPN 1320, there's growing animosity between the front office and DiVincenzo were regards to how they've handled him in the few months since the trade deadline deal was consummated.
“Donte DiVincenzo and his team are not at all happy with the Sacramento Kings. They believe that the Kings very specifically did not start him down the stretch of this season to limit his value in free agency,” said Ham on The Kings Beat podcast.
Donte DiVincenzo played a prominent role in the Kings rotation, but started in just a single game for his second club. He averaged 26.5 minutes per contest in 24 games, with a stat line of 10.0 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game on a subpar 35.7% shooting clip.
DiVincenzo wasn't exactly scorching the nets during his time in Sacramento, but that could partly be due to his discontent with his role and adjusting to the new environment. With his free agency looming, he likely wanted a greater opportunity to cement himself as a team building block and potential starter.
“We're creating a situation where you have an unhappy player who might be forced to take an unhappy contract and who might not, realistically, be on board. We can see a situation where DiVincenzo makes it's widely known that he does not want to return to the Sacramento Kings,” Ham continued.
The future remains uncertain for Donte DiVincenzo in Sacramento. Safe to say it's no lock that he comes back in a Kings uniform next season.
