2018 NBA Draft: Donte DiVincenzo Interviews With Lakers

Matthew Moreno
2 Min Read
Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

If not for a trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers at this season’s deadline, the Los Angeles Lakers were looking at not having a first-round pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. Their pick was due to the Philadelphia 76ers or Boston Celtics, dependent on how the NBA Draft Lottery unfolded.

It wound up going to the 76ers at No. 10 overall, while the Lakers hold the 25th (first round) and 47th (second round) selections. Despite having late selections, the Lakers have a recent track record in unearthing gems.

Among those is Josh Hart, who was taken with the 30th pick in the 2017 Draft. Now as the Lakers do their due diligence for this year’s draft, they were among the teams that interviewed Hart’s former Villanova teammate Donte DiVincenzo, per Keith Pompey of the Philly Inquirer:

DiVincenzo is among the prospects on hand for the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, and he impressed in the testing, according to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders:

Behind a strong showing at the combine and in team workouts, DiVincenzo could see his stock rise. He nonetheless might still be a reach for the Lakers at No. 25, and an unlikely option for their second-round pick.

DiVincenzo averaged 13.4 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game as a sophomore. He scored in double-figures in four of six NCAA Tournament games, including 31 points behind 5-for-7 shooting from deep, to lead Villanova against Michigan in the championship.

Matthew Moreno is a journalist from Whittier, Calif., who is a credentialed reporter and is currently the Managing Editor of DodgerBlue.com and LakersNation.com. In addition to covering Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angels Lakers games, Matthew has a strong passion for keeping up to date with the sneakerhead culture. It began with Michael Jordan and Air Jordan shoes, and has carried over to Kobe Bryant's signature line with Nike. Matthew previously was the lead editor and digital strategist at Dodgers Nation, and the co-editor and lead writer at Reign of Troy, where he covered USC Trojans Football. Matthew graduated from California State Long Beach University with a major in journalism and minor in communications. Contact: matt@mediumlargela.com