Spencer Dinwiddie to sign with Lakers: Will the veteran guard make an impact in Los Angeles?
The Lakers are adding reinforcements through the buyout market.
After remaining patient at the trade deadline, Los Angeles will reportedly sign veteran guard Spencer Dinwiddie once he clears waivers at 5 p.m. ET on Saturday, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
Dinwiddie was traded from the Nets to the Raptors at the deadline, but Toronto elected to waive the 30-year-old to avoid paying him a games played salary bonus in his contract.
That paved the way for Dinwiddie to assess his options on the buyout market, where “several playoff teams” pursued his services.
MORE: Why the Raptors waived Spencer Dinwiddie immediately after trade
Dinwiddie spent the night of the trade deadline in Dallas, watching a Mavericks game with owner Mark Cuban. On Friday, he was spotted sitting with general manager Rob Pelinka at the Lakers game.
After taking those two in-person meetings, the 10-year veteran has elected to take his talents to Los Angeles where he will help LeBron James and Anthony Davis pursue another deep playoff run.
How will Spencer Dinwiddie fit with the Lakers?
With minimal assets and financial wiggle room, the Lakers let the trade deadline pass without making a move. Still a championship-contending roster headlined by James and Davis, Los Angeles knew it would be a favorable destination for veterans who hit the buyout market.
Dinwiddie was the top player available and the Lakers wasted no time making a splash. Even though the 30-year-old was struggling with the Nets this season, James and Davis believe Dinwiddie can still give Los Angeles a spark off the bench to help bolster their backcourt depth.
“Playmaking, another ball-handler, another shot-maker, another veteran,” James told the media after the Lakers’ win on Friday when asked what Dinwiddie could bring to the team.
“He’s a big guard, shot-maker, playmaker. Obviously, we’ve seen what he did with Dallas [during the 2022 NBA Playoffs], making big plays for them. He’s an established player and vet in this league,” Anthony Davis added.
MORE: What to know about the first of Kobe Bryant’s three statues outside Crypto.com Arena
Dinwiddie was averaging 12.6 points and 6.0 assists per game while shooting 39.1 percent from the field and 32.0 percent from 3 this season. That is his lowest scoring average since 2016-17 (excluding 2020-21 when he suffered a season-ending ACL injury after three games).
Dinwiddie has recently shown he can make an impact on a playoff team as Davis mentioned, though.
In the 2022 NBA Playoffs, Dinwiddie was effective off the bench during the Mavericks’ run to the Western Conference Finals.
In a similar role he’ll play with the Lakers, he scored 15 or more points in nine of his 18 playoff appearances with the Mavericks. He had five games with 20-plus points and nine games with four-plus assists.
Joining a Los Angeles squad that ranks 20th in the NBA in bench points per game, Dinwiddie’s scoring and playmaking prowess is much needed behind D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves.
Updated Lakers depth chart 2024
The Lakers are currently riddled with injuries as Gabe Vincent (knee), Cam Reddish (ankle) and Jarred Vanderbilt (foot) all remain on the sidelines.
That gives Dinwiddie a prime opportunity to jump right into the rotation and show the type of impact he can make to help the Lakers get back on track.
MORE: Who are the best players remaining on the buyout market?
To give you an idea of what the rotation might look like when Los Angeles returns to full strength, take a look at their updated depth chart below.
Starter | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | |
PG | D’Angelo Russell | Spencer Dinwiddie | Gabe Vincent (Inj.) | Jalen Hood-Schifino |
SG | Austin Reaves | Cam Reddish (Inj.) | Max Christie | Skylar Mays |
SF | LeBron James | Taurean Prince | Maxwell Lewis | Dylan Windler |
PF | Rui Hachimura | Jarred Vanderbilt (Inj.) | Christian Wood | |
C | Anthony Davis | Jaxson Hayes | Colin Castleton |