On the last day of the NBA trade deadline, the Brooklyn Nets traded Spencer Dinwiddie to the Nets in exchange for Dennis Schroder and Thaddeus Young. The Toronto Raptors proceeded to waive Spencer shortly after the trade.
Spencer Dinwiddie Joins The Los Angeles Lakers
To waive a player is to release him before his contract ends. Once a player is waived, he enters a waiver wire for 48 hours. During that time, other teams can acquire him by trade. In this case, Spencer was waived at the trade deadline, leaving little time for a trade to take place. After 48 hours, a waived player becomes an unrestricted free agent. In this case, Spencer will become an unrestricted free agent very soon.
Given that the Raptors’ hands were tied by the deadline, Spencer started looking at different teams he would want to sign with after his waiver clears. Other teams started to attempt to recruit him. It was clear that he was considering rejoining one of his previous teams, the Dallas Mavericks, as he was spotted at a Mavericks game following the trade.
Spencer at the Mavericks game:
Cuban tampering hard. Love it pic.twitter.com/qu52bYS2xp
— MFFL (@Mavs_FFL) February 9, 2024
Spencer was also seen sitting with Rob Pelinka at last night’s Lakers-Pelicans game.
Spencer Dinwiddie at Lakers-Pelicans and is sitting with Rob Pelinka in the Lakers’ VIP seats. pic.twitter.com/aBEfIxYVOd
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) February 10, 2024
Furthermore, in a post-game interview, when asked about Spencer, D’Angelo Russell said, “I am a fan. Ya’ll will get to know him soon.”
D’Angelo Russell had the Spencer Dinwiddie signing first https://t.co/Ffx3DqZ92k
— Michael Corvo (@michaelcorvoNBA) February 10, 2024
After all the Spencer speculation, it has been confirmed that Spencer Dinwiddie plans to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers after his wavier clears, per Shams Charania.
Why Did The Raptors Not Keep Spencer Dinwiddie?
Dinwiddie had an upcoming $1.5M contract bonus for games played. So, to avoid having to pay this bonus, the Raptors waived Dinwiddie, per Shams Charania. Ultimately, the Raptors saved money by waiving him and also freed up cap space by sending Dennis Schroder and Thaddeus Young to the Nets.
How Will Dinwiddie Help The Lakers?
After not making any moves before the trade deadline, the Lakers were getting a lot of criticism. They are currently ranked 9th in the Western Conference. Their overall record is currently 43-39. They were in a similar position at the trade deadline last year but managed to trade for D’Angelo Russell. While they were only ranked 7th seed at the end of the season last year, they managed to get to the Western Conference Finals.
A veteran player like Spencer Dinwiddie can help the Lakers improve their overall record for this regular season and go deep into the playoffs. His vital role in the Dallas Mavericks’ 2021 playoff run to the Western Conference Finals suggests he could step up for the Lakers in a similar way. Ultimately, Dinwiddie’s presence should help improve the Lakers’ offensive consistency, especially when their star players are having an off night.
It is uncertain how the Lakers will insert Dinwiddie into their lineup, especially with so many guards like Gabe Vincent and D’Angelo Russell in the mix. It is likely they will experiment with different rotations as the season progresses. It’s possible that Dinwiddie will play a similar role to what Shawn Livingston played for the Golden State Warriors. However, it’s possible that Dinwiddie could contribute more compared to Livingston. Either way, he will be a consistent source of offense for the Lakers like Livingston was for the Warriors.
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