Donte DiVincenzo Will Miss First EuroBasket Stint With Italy

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The summer of 2025 was supposed to be a big one for Donte DiVincenzo and the Italian national team. He was set to be the star player for the national team, as he would have represented the country for the first time in his career. Unfortunately, that has been put off with the recent news.

DiVincenzo has never been the biggest star, but for the national team, he would have stood out. He is dealing with an injury, which has hampered his chances of traveling to Europe and competing against other countries on the continent. He is not the only player who won't attend EuroBasket, as teammate Rudy Gobert has also opted out of the tournament.

Many fans were excited to see DiVincenzo stand out for Italy in the summer of 2025. Unfortunately, injuries have stopped that potential breakout for the Timberwolves guard. Considering he will be a vital player for the Timberwolves, it would be best to stay in the United States to recover ahead of the 2025-26 NBA season.

This is a big blow to Italy's national team, as they would have had a strong and starter-level NBA player. Now, they will be playing with most players coming from their domestic leagues in Europe. They still have Simone Fontecchio as their star, who is also an NBA player, but DiVincenzo would have been a big boost.

During the 2024-25 NBA season, DiVincenzo struggled to play for over a month due to a turf toe injury. Considering it is a big part of how he moves around the court, it sidelined him for a bit. Now that it has flared up again, DiVincenzo is smart enough to pull out of EuroBasket.

He would have loved playing for the Italian national team, but his long-term career is more important. DiVincenzo could not risk his health to play for the national team, and he does not want to perform hurt, as he will not be able to help them properly.

Thankfully for the Italians, DiVincenzo has continued to commit to future tournaments, including the FIBA World Cup and the Olympics. That is great news, as he will continue to be an advocate for the national team.

"Unfortunately, I'm sorry, I will not be able to join the national team this summer due to a physical issue, that over the last few days forced me to make this difficult, difficult decision,"DiVincenzo said in a social media video. "My goal remains the same, it remains with the Italian basketball going forward. World Cup, Olympics. I just wanted to show my commitment, send my best of luck to the team, and see you all soon."

Since this is a recurring issue for DiVincenzo, it is fair for Timberwolves fans to be worried. If he continues to struggle with this injury, that could take him out of the rotation for an extended period. It flared up in the past week, so this was not an issue in the past few weeks or months.

If this persists during the 2025-26 season, Anthony Edwards will play with Terrence Shannon Jr. and Jaylen Clark. This is where losing Nickeil Alexander-Walker hurts, as he would have easily filled in and been the sixth man.

Now, DiVincenzo must focus on his recovery, as he will need to be healthy by training camp. Since this is a toe injury, it could be a minor ailment, but it would be best to be sure that he is healthy for the 2025-26 NBA season when the Timberwolves have massive expectations to live up to.