Looking to upgrade their roster ahead of the 2023-24 season, the New York Knicks “have emerged as favorites” to sign 26-year-old shooting guard Donte DiVincenzo in free agency, per C.J. Holmes of the San Francisco Chronicle.

DiVincenzo, who played three seasons with local Villanova, declined his $4.7 million player option with the Golden State Warriors. With the Knicks having the full Non-Taxpayer MLE in free agency and Josh Hart opting in to his $12.9 million contract for next season “to give New York the ability to add talent to the roster for the upcoming season.”

Notably, DiVincenzo, Hart and Jalen Brunson were all teammates at Villanova, adding an interesting twist to their pursuit of the free agent.

A two-time NBA champion, DiVincenzo was named 2017 Big East All-Freshman team, before winning 2018 Big East Sixth Man of the Year as a redshirt sophomore and NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player in 2018. Brunson, who was the 2018 Wooden Award winner, was also a two-time NCAA champion at Villanova.

Having begun his enrollment prior to Brunson and DiVincenzo, Hart only won one championship the aforementioned duo. However, he was no less decorated in his time with the Wildcats, earning Big East All-Freshman honors in 2014, Big East Sixth Man of the Year in 2015, and Big East Co-Defensive Player of the Year in 2017 before declaring for the 2017 NBA Draft.

Last season, DiVincenzo averaged 9.4 points and 3.5 assists per game while shooting 43.5 percent from the field and 39.7 percent from 3-point range. Due to his production, chemistry, on-court fit and team need, DiVincenzo would be a more than welcome addition to the Knicks backcourt.