Donte DiVincenzo had words for Thibs when he returned to New York

The Minnesota Timberwolves were in New York for a preseason game with the Knicks on Sunday night, and in any other year that wouldn't be a big deal. This year, however, it meant a lot of reunions, as the two teams faced off two weeks after the stunning trade that sent Karl-Anthony Towns to New York and Donte DiVincenzo and Julius Randle to Minnesota.

While all the players involved spoke about the emotions of the trade and how they overcame them and are now focused on moving forward with their new teams, it was pretty clear that the wounds were still a little raw when they first met old teams. It's not an issue between players and their former teammates, but there is still some resentment when it comes to the front offices and coaches who have given the green light to trade some key contributors.

Donte DiVincenzo showed exactly what I'm talking about when he went to the line for some early free throws and seemed to have a few words for Tom Thibodeau that ESPN's field microphones picked up.

Thibodeau stood off to the side at the scorer's table while DiVincenzo made his free throws, and DiVincenzo certainly seems to think that Thibs was one of those pushing for the trade, thanking him for the trade and then saying, “That's what happens when you “run the show.” That's a little more spice than you normally see in a preseason game, but that's what happens when two teams face each other for the first time after a big trade.

DiVincenzo was a crucial player for the Knicks on their way to the conference semifinals a year ago, and as Cassidy Hubbarth noted in her report when Donte spoke to Thibs and the Knicks bench, he was quite hurt by the trade. New York is taking a gamble by dismantling their Nova crew to get Towns, losing some of their strength in the process in the hopes that at full strength the ceiling will be higher with the All-Star big man.

UPDATE: After the game, Brunson had another exchange with Knicks assistant Rick Brunson (also Jalen Brunson's father) and the two had to be separated as emotions were clearly running high upon DiVincenzo's return to the Garden.