Chris Finch offered some hope on Donte DiVincenzo's Achilles recovery at Summer League.
The Minnesota Timberwolves ended their season with a second-round exit against the San Antonio Spurs, but the biggest blow came earlier in the playoffs.
Donte DiVincenzo went down with a torn right Achilles tendon just minutes into Game 4 of the first-round series against the Denver Nuggets in late April, cutting short what had been the best stretch of his career.
He had just played all 82 regular-season games for the first time, one of only four players in the league to do so.
DiVincenzo averaged 12.2 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.8 assists during the regular season while shooting 37.9 percent from three, and his numbers were even better in the playoffs.
Through three postseason games he was putting up 14.3 points, five assists and five rebounds on 51.6 percent shooting before the injury ended his run.
What Finch Said
Speaking on Amazon Prime's Summer League broadcast this week, Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch gave an update on DiVincenzo's recovery and sounded cautiously upbeat about what he's hearing.
"It's still too early to say. All the early signs are great, though," Finch said. "He's put the work in, had the surgery really quick. His spirits are good. I would be lying if I had a medical opinion on when he would come back. He's been impressed with how quickly the process has gone so far, and so has his support staff."
The Tatum Parallel
There's good reason for hope here.
DiVincenzo had his surgery performed by Dr. Martin O'Malley at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, the same doctor who repaired Jayson Tatum's torn right Achilles in May of 2025.
Just like Tatum, DiVincenzo went under the knife within 24 hours of the injury, which doctors say leads to better outcomes long-term.
Tatum made it back to the court for Boston about 10 months later and looked close to his old self, putting up 21.8 points, 10 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game upon his return.
If DiVincenzo's rehab follows a similar path, a return sometime around February or March of 2027 is not out of the question.
What the Roster Looks Like If He Comes Back
Minnesota has already reshaped its roster this summer.
The Wolves traded Julius Randle to Brooklyn and sent Naz Reid to Charlotte in the deal that brought back LaMelo Ball and Josh Green, finally giving Anthony Edwards a real playmaking partner.
Ayo Dosunmu was re-signed on a five-year deal, and the team brought back Bones Hyland while also adding Trey Lyles on a minimum contract.
If DiVincenzo can get healthy and return at some point during the season, Minnesota's depth chart gets a huge boost.
A backcourt rotation of Ball, Edwards, Dosunmu and DiVincenzo alongside Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert would give the Wolves one of the most complete rosters in the Western Conference and a real shot at the Finals run the franchise has been chasing.
No timeline has been set, but Finch likes what he sees so far.
