Getty Spencer Dinwiddie guarding LeBron James during a January game in 2020.
With a new NBA champion crowned in the Milwaukee Bucks, the Brooklyn Nets surely feel vindictive by how close they came to topping them in the playoffs.
Even with all of James Harden, Kevin Durant, and Kyrie Irving in house, don’t doubt that they’ll be aggressive in upgrading the roster this summer in free agency.
One thing that could dictate just how much they do or don’t improve is Spencer Dinwiddie’s free agency.
He’s an unrestricted free agent, so he’s free to sign wherever he pleases.
But if Brooklyn could convince him to agree to a sign and trade, it’s possible they could recoup some value for the guard.
The options are endless, given the amount of teams that will inevitably pursue Dinwiddie this offseason in free agency.
And one recent report suggests he may have his eyes on heading out West.
Dinwiddie ‘Interested’ in Joining Lakers
In his most recent reporting for the Los Angeles Times, Broderick Turner primed fans for an offseason with very few splash-level free agents available.
When it came to Spencer Dinwiddie, he reported that the 28 year old has interest in joining on with LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers:
Guard Spencer Dinwiddie, who starred at Woodland Hills Taft High and California, declined his player option for $12.3 million with Brooklyn to become an unrestricted free agent. Dinwiddie, who missed most of last season because of an ACL injury, has interest in joining the Lakers.
He hasn’t played since December of 2020, when he tore his ACL, but it seems worth noting that he was cleared for all basketball activities over a month ago:
Nets free agent Spencer Dinwiddie has been fully cleared for all basketball activities, his operating surgeon Dr. Riley Williams says. Dinwiddie recovered from a partial ACL tear in just over five months. He enters free agency as one of the top point guards on the market.
Dinwiddie averaged 20.6 points, 6.8 assists, and 3.5 rebounds in 64 appearances for the Brooklyn Nets in 2019-2020.
What Would a Sign-And-Trade Deal with LA Look Like?
If the goal with Spencer Dinwiddie’s free agency is to get value back in a sign and trade, as was reported, then you have to expect the Brooklyn Nets will entertain the idea with any potential landing spot.
But in regards to the Los Angeles Lakers, there isn’t much that would appear to interest them in a trade.
Nor is it likely they’d look to help a fellow title contender, particularly the one that’s home to LeBron James.
Regardless, any deal that sent Dinwiddie to the Lakers would have to feature two of Dennis Schroder, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, or Kyle Kuzma.
Are any of those players on Brooklyn’s radar? Unlikely.
Caldwell-Pope is a stud defender and seemingly underrated by NBA fans, so he’d likely be the most appealing option, if any.
Los Angeles does have their first-round pick in this year’s draft, but it’s doubtful that the Nets want another pick.
They’re more likely a candidate to trade out of the first-round this year in hopes of acquiring more veteran talent.
So no, any circumstance where Spencer Dinwiddie joins up with LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers likely wouldn’t be by way of a sign and trade.
It seems the Brooklyn Nets could lose out on their backup point guard with no compensation, opening one more hole on their 2021-2022 roster.
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