Getty Images Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Spencer Dinwiddie of the Washington Wizards.
The Los Angeles Lakers have some decisions to make at the trade deadline and a name that could be in play is someone they were linked to previously in Spencer Dinwiddie.
An anonymous NBA agent told Heavy.com NBA editor Sean Deveney that the Lakers are a team to watch in the trade sweepstakes for Dinwiddie, who has struggled this season with the Wizards.
“Dinwiddie is a guy to watch there for the Lakers. He has not been his old self, you can see that. His numbers are way down,” the agent told Deveney. “But there was a real interest from the Lakers in him last season and even in the summer when it was obvious that they would not be able to meet his asking price. He wanted to go to L.A. and I think he would have taken a little less to do so. But the numbers were never going to work.”
Kendrick Nunn, Talen Horton-Tucker Enough to Make Trade Work
The Lakers did business with the Wizards this offseason in the trade for Russell Westbrook and have the assets to get another deal done for Dinwiddie by sending Talen Horton-Tucker and Kendrick Nunn to Washington. There haven’t been many bites around the league for that package, which has also been combined with the Lakers’ 2027 first-round pick.
“If you are looking around at what the Lakers have to offer, which is basically a package of Talen Horton-Tucker and Kendrick Nunn, Dinwiddie is about as good as you are going to do,” the agent said. “They have been kicking the tires on him and the question is, is Spencer just damaged goods now, are his numbers down and never going to come back? Or is it just a bad fit in Washington. He has not looked great. But he also is not the best fit there. Maybe you reduce his role, you put him in L.A. and you can get him going.”
Dinwiddie has started all 40 games he’s played in with the Wizards, averaging 13.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 5.7 assists. Dinwiddie played in just three games last season with the Nets before injuring his ACL. He averaged 20.6 points and 6.8 assists per game his last full season in Brooklyn.
The Lakers have been shopping Horton-Tucker after signing him to an extension this offseason but he hasn’t done much to boost his trade value. While he’s shown off his raw upside at times, this season has been relatively disappointing. He is averaging 9.9 points in 26.1 minutes per game.
Nunn signed with the Lakers this offseason but has yet to play a game with the team. He averaged 15.3 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 67 starts with the Heat during his rookie season, landing on the All-Rookie team and finishing runner-up in Rookie of the Year voting. Last season he averaged 14.6 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists. His salary of $5 million is important for the Lakers as they look to make moves without much flexbility.
Dinwiddie’s Days Appear Numbered in Washington
Shortly after last season ended, Dinwiddie opted out of his player option with the Nets, making him an unrestricted free agent. The 28-year-old was coming off a torn ACL but was still a sought-after commodity for guard-needy teams. He ended up landing with the Wizards via sign and trade on a three-year, $54 million deal, although the change of scenery has not gone as planned.
Washington sits at 23-26 and outside of the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference. On top of that, there appears to be tension between Dinwiddie and his teammates, which has boiled over of late.
“The Wizards want to move Dinwiddie because he looks like a shell of his former self and his teammates don’t want him there,” The Ringer’s Kevin O’Conner reported on Monday.
It also sounds like Dinwiddie hasn’t been able to take on a leadership role with the team, which he expressed over the weekend after the team’s fifth consecutive loss.
“It’s an interesting situation. I spoke up a little bit early on. It wasn’t necessarily welcomed. And so, like I said, I try to do whatever’s asked of me. At the end of the day, everybody has a role to play,” Dinwiddie said. “It’s about being accountable in your role and doing that to the best of your ability. That’s really all I’ve got.”