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Minnesota Timberwolves guard spoke with The Athletic, describing his mindset heading into a long recovery ahead. The guard suffered a ruptured right Achilles tendon on April 25 against the Denver Nuggets.
It’s been just over a month since Minnesota Timberwolves guard Donte DiVincenzo went down with a non-contact injury in the team’s first-round series against the Denver Nuggets. A ruptured right Achilles tendon is what the 29-year-old is dealing with
Unfortunately, it’s a very common injury in the NBA in recent years. DiVincenzo was the fourth NBA player to wear No. 0 to suffer an Achilles rupture. The Boston Celtics’ Jayson Tatum, the Indiana Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton, and former Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard, now with the Portland Trail Blazers, all suffered the same injury in the 2025 playoffs.
Tatum beat the narrative, returning from the setback in less than 10 months, but Haliburton and Lillard missed the entirety of the 2025-26 season. This could very well be the same outcome for Donte DiVincenzo.
Despite the devastating injury, the Timberwolves guard is a month removed from surgery and feels the support behind him while he continues to rehab.
Donte DiVincenzo has since spoken to each player who has dealt with the injury over the past year and then some: Jayson Tatum, Tyrese Haliburton, and Damian Lillard.
“I just asked a million questions, and they’ve all helped me in different ways,” DiVincenzo told The Athletic. “But all their journeys are different.”
He also explained his emotions after receiving the news on April 25, just minutes after exiting Game 4.
“I went through those emotions of feeling sad for myself initially. It was healthy, and I think once I flipped that page, it just put me in the right mindset of just getting around the guys, and the last three weeks of being around these guys have really helped me because as soon as we got back, we started doing rehab, we just started doing stuff.”
The recovery process is long, but DiVincenzo can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
“It’s going to get easier and easier as I can progress, but these initial phases of resting and healing are the toughest because of somebody who needs to be doing something constantly,” DiVincenzo added. “So for me, that was me doing something constantly, just being in the locker room, being on the plane, being on the bus, joking with these guys.”
After playing in all 82 regular-season games while averaging 12.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.3 steals per game, Donte DiVincenzo will enter his final year under contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2026-27.
Before suffering the ruptured Achilles, the Timberwolves guard carried one of the friendliest contracts for an organization given his production—an average salary of $11.71 million per year.
It’s uncertain if he will be able to return at some point next season. Minnesota’s president of basketball operations, Tim Connelly, believes that he will be back. However, the specific date isn’t set in stone.
Even if the Minnesota guard can pull off coming back next season, it will likely be a gradual process. He won’t be back at 30.4 minutes per game right away.
The hope is that he recovers smoothly and gets back to the same level, but Donte DiVincenzo’s financial side of playing basketball is to be determined.
As for the Timberwolves, they will have to fill a large gap in the lineup moving forward. The reliable shooting, defense, and leadership that Donte DiVincenzo provides will be difficult to replace.
Toran Flores is a sports reporter located in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He's covered news in the NFL, NBA, MLB, WNBA, and college sports. His work has been featured on platforms like FanSided, Athlon Sports, The Sporting News, Lakers All Day Everyday, and others. In his free time, Toran enjoys spending time with family and friends, staying active, and traveling. More about Toran Flores
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