The Los Angeles Lakers finally made a roster move, securing Spencer Dinwiddie‘s commitment to sign with them after he clears the waivers, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
Dinwiddie, a Los Angeles native, comes home after spending his first 10 seasons with five different teams.
A Los Angeles native, Dinwiddie starred at William Howard Taft High School in the Woodland Hills district, just 24 miles away from the Crypto.com arena. He was the John R. Wooden California High School Player of the Year in 2011 and won the city championship during his senior year.
Now he’ll be playing for his hometown team.
The Lakers eyed him at the trade deadline but the Brooklyn Nets chose to ship him to Toronto for Dennis Schroder.
Luckily for the Lakers, the Raptors waived Dinwiddie.
Lakers general manager and vice president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka rolled the red carpet for Dinwiddie when he pulled up to watch the Lakers’ 139-122 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on February 9.
Spencer Dinwiddie at Lakers-Pelicans and is sitting with Rob Pelinka in the Lakers’ VIP seats.
Pelinka sealed the deal, beating the Dallas Mavericks, Dinwiddie’s former team.
Dinwiddie, who averaged 12.6 points, 6.0 assists and 3.3 rebounds for the Nets this season, will fill the Gabe Vincent hole in their backcourt. But Vincent is on track to return next month, Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer reported on February 5.
What LeBron James and Anthony Davis Think of New Lakers Addition
Lakers top stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis believe Dinwiddie will help them in their title quest this season.
“Playmaking, another ball handler, another shot-maker. Another guy, another veteran,” LeBron James told reporters when asked what Dinwiddie could add to their team. “Anytime you can add a veteran with that ability, it helps. So we’ll see what happens.”
Dinwiddie has averaged 14.1 points, 3.6 assists and 2.5 rebounds in 28 games in the playoffs in his career.
“Obviously, we’ve seen what he did with Brooklyn, what he did with Dallas making big plays for them,” Anthony Davis added. “He’s a well-established player.”
LeBron James and Anthony Davis on what Spencer Dinwiddie could bring to the Lakers. When D’Angelo Russell was asked about what Dinwiddie is like, as a former teammate of his, said, “I’m a fan, but ya’ll get to know him soon”
The best part is the Lakers got Dinwiddie without giving up any draft capital, keeping their powder dry for a star hunt this summer. They will have access to three first-round picks, which they believe will be enough to be in the conversation whenever star becomes available.
Lakers ‘Play the Game the Right Way’
The key to the Lakers rebound win after a tough loss to the defending champion Denver Nuggets was their unselfish play.
They made 49 field goals on 32 assists against the Pelicans.
“That just shows what we can do as a team offensively,” Austin Reaves told reporters. “It’s just playing the game the right way. When we do that, everybody gets a better feel and gets a better rhythm and settles into it that way.”
The returning D’Angelo Russell paced the Lakers’ well-balanced attack with 30 points and five assists as the Lakers’ starting unit all scored 20 or more points.
Reaves added 27 points and four assists. LeBron James and Rui Hachimura had 21 apiece. James also had a game-high 14 assists while Davis pitched in 20 points and six dimes.
The Lakers’ offense flowed like a river especially in the first half when they exploded for 87 points, their most prolific half of the season and the second-highest-scoring first half in franchise history.
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Lakers Make Major Roster Move For Backcourt Help