LA Lakers Free Agency News: Spencer Dinwiddie fuels speculation of possible buyout signing after liking fan tweet
Veteran point guard Spencer Dinwiddie was traded from the Brooklyn Nets to the Toronto Raptors during Thursday’s NBA trade deadline. However, Dinwiddie will reportedly be waived by Toronto and enter the buyout market. If the veteran’s latest social media activity is any indication, he could be headed to his hometown LA Lakers.
Dinwiddie has struggled with inconsistency this season. Per NBA.com, his 39.1% shooting average is the worst among players who qualify for the field goal percentage leaderboard.
However, the 10-year veteran has proven to be a valuable scorer and playmaker for competitive teams in the past with Brooklyn and the Dallas Mavericks.
According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, Dinwiddie “will be coveted by several playoff teams.”
Upon the news of Dinwiddie’s entry into the buyout market, Lakers fans immediately started calling for the team to sign him.
One fan tweeted a clip of Dinwiddie’s 30-point performance from Game 7 of the Mavericks’ 2022 Western Conference semifinal series against the Phoenix Suns. The 30-year-old shot a blistering 11-for-15 (73.3%) while making five 3-pointers as Dallas secured a 123-90 closeout victory.
The fan captioned the tweet, “Lakers fans, THIS is the Spencer Dinwiddie we will be getting in LA. ‘I want to come home’ has been his mantra for years.”
Dinwiddie subsequently liked the tweet, sparking speculation that he could be headed to the Lakers.
Notably, Dinwiddie was born in LA. Meanwhile, the Lakers didn’t make any deadline deals despite being heavily involved in trade rumors. So, the veteran landing with the Lakers appears to be a logical destination.
Through 48 games, Dinwiddie is averaging 12.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 0.8 steals and 1.9 3s per game on 39.1% shooting.
Also Read: 5 landing spots for free agent Spencer Dinwiddie after Raptors waive him following Nets trade
Lakers expected to pursue Spencer Dinwiddie
The Los Angeles Times’ Dan Woike also added fuel to the Spencer Dinwiddie to LA speculation.
Per Woike, the Lakers are expected to “be aggressive on the buyout market” and he “expects them to have interest in LA native Spencer Dinwiddie.”
The Lakers (27-25) have fallen well short of expectations this season, sitting ninth in the Western Conference through 52 games. They rank just 20th in offensive rating (113.6) and 28th in 3s per game (11.3). So, most would agree that they could use all the offensive help they can get.
Despite his inconsistency, Dinwiddie could provide the Lakers with value as a sixth-man scorer off the bench. If he locks in, he could end up being a steal, as given his age, he should still be in his prime years.
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