NBA Trade Rumors: Washington Wizards could be tempted to move Spencer Dinwiddie in exchange for LA Lakers starlet and a draft pick
NBA and Western Conference powerhouse LA Lakers are in desperate need of a new point guard, and their target might be one of the Washington Wizards players.
According to Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated, the Lakers and the Wizards might come to the table for a deal surrounding Talen Horton-Tucker and Spencer Dinwiddie. Mannix wrote in this regard:
"Spencer Dinwiddie is available in Washington, and a Horton-Tucker/draft pick package could be enough to entice a Wizards team with interest in offloading Dinwiddie’s contract. Orlando’s Terrence Ross is another option."
Mannix continued:
"The Lakers would love to extract Grant from Detroit, but the Pistons will likely field stronger offers before the deadline, and may elect to keep Grant, a Troy Weaver favorite, on the roster."
Dinwiddie has two more years left on his contract after the end of the ongoing season. His contract is worth a little over $36 million. He pushed for an exit from the Brooklyn Nets in the summer, and was pursued by the Lakers less than a year ago.
It'll be interesting to see what the Lakers can conjure before trade deadline day, given the way their season has unfolded thus far.
“Spencer Dinwiddie is available in Washington and a Horton-Tucker/draft pick package could be enough to entice a Wizards team with interest in offloading Dinwiddie’s contract.”
- @SIChrisMannix https://t.co/osV7zAxT9F
Do the LA Lakers need a point guard?
The LA Lakers came into the season with championship aspirations, as they added another superstar Russell Westbrook to their ranks. However, things haven't gone according to plan, and the Lakers have endured a tumultuous campaign thus far.
Westbrook's addition as a point guard was aimed at decreasing the workload of LeBron James. However, because of Westbrook's poor performances and the stuggles of the team in general, the 37-year-old James has ended up having to do a lot of the heavy lifting.
Entering Saturday, the Lakers had lost 104 straight games when trailing by at least 21 points, the longest active such streak in the NBA.
Make it 1-104. https://t.co/GDHl7g7LO7
The idea of using Talen Horton-Tucker as a makeweight for a trade isn't unsubstantiated, as the youngster has struggled all season long, and hasn't contributed much to the Lakers. He is, without question, a talented player, but the Lakers need personnel to help them rack up wins immediately.
Spencer Dinwiddie fits the bill, and was linked with a move to the LA Lakers last summer from the Brooklyn Nets. Dinwiddie is averaging 12.6 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game, while shooting the ball at better than 37% from the field and 31% from the perimeter.
These are not eye-catching numbers by any means, but the Lakers are in desperate need of replenishments. With Horton-Tucker and Kendrick Nunn being the only tradeable assets, a move for Spencer Dinwiddie might be the only option for the LA Lakers, at least till the summer.