The Los Angeles Lakers didn’t make a move at the trade deadline, but it didn’t take long after it had passed to make an addition to the team. The Lakers front office moved quickly to sign veteran point guard Spencer Dinwiddie on the buyout market after he was waived following a trade to the Toronto Raptors from the Brooklyn Nets.
A Southern California native who played at Taft High School in Woodland Hills, Dinwiddie now has the opportunity to play for his hometown team who he grew up loving and watching. The point guard spoke about how much it means to his family to be able to put on the purple and gold.
“For my family, it’s big-time. Everybody in the house is Laker fans,” Dinwiddie said. “Cousins, people from high school, all that and the whole nine… It was a very emotional moment for them just from a fan standpoint.”
But it won’t be enough for Dinwiddie to just put on the uniform as he will be relied upon to produce and help this Lakers team get on track and make a playoff run. Dinwiddie is a capable scorer and playmaker and just an all-around reliable and steady hand in the backcourt, something the Lakers need.
He was choosing between the Lakers and Dallas Mavericks after he got bought out and explained why L.A. was ultimately his choice.
“A lot of things. I think one of the things that was definitely on my radar was the fact that Rob was the first called,” Dinwiddie said. “I think that mattered. Obviously I have a history in Dallas and there were some other teams that inquired as well other than those two. But looking at the team setup and potentially being able to come in and make an impact and help this team win a championship, being home is obviously a dream come true. There’s a lot that goes into it but really having a chance to help the team win and like I said, play with some special players.”
Dinwiddie attended the Lakers’ game against the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday night, sitting with Rob Pelinka and then visiting with members of the team afterward. That is what helped him make his decision.
“It was like a five-and-a-half hour flight and I spent most of that flight talking to my parents who were on the play with me and one of my friends. We were working through all of the different pieces and said OK, if we get there and the vibe seems cool, and obviously I got to talk to DLo, Taurean, C-Wood, Rui, people that I’ve played with. Rui was excited to see me, that felt good. Just things of that nature. Obviously it’s a new situation.
“I’ll give y’all something funny that I told my people, fairly candid. The two situations, I felt like this. Let’s say you were a kid and you got your ass whooped by the bully. Dallas would’ve been like your momma being like, ‘It’s OK baby. Don’t worry about it.’ Lakers are like your dad. ‘Nah, you better go out there and fight till you win.’ You feel me? And I just felt like that was what I needed at the time. I’m a big believer in kind of doing what you need to do whatever time it is, so that’s how I felt about it.”
While he has never been a pure knockdown shooter, Dinwiddie is more than capable from beyond the arc and also thrives with his passing and playmaking. After being dealt to the Nets, last season Dinwiddie averaged 16.5 points and a career-best 9.1 assists in 26 games.
This season he is averaging 12.6 points and 6.0 assists and will look to maintain that level of play with the Lakers.
LeBron James, Anthony Davis discuss what Spencer Dinwiddie will bring to the Lakers
The Lakers themselves are well aware of what Dinwiddie brings to the table and LeBron James outlined how the point guard will help.
“Playmaking, another ball handler, another shot-maker,” James said. “Another guy, another veteran. Anytime you can add a veteran with that ability, it helps.”
Anthony Davis echoed LeBron’s sentiments, noting Dinwiddie is a proven commodity in this league.
“He’s a big guard. Shotmaker, playmaker, obviously we’ve seen what he did in Brooklyn, Dallas, making big plays for them. He’s a well established player and vet in this league,” Davis said.
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