Spencer Dinwiddie signs with Lakers after clearing waivers
One day after the Lakers didn’t make a deal at the NBA’s trade deadline, the Lakers hosted one of the top available free agents in the hopes of adding him to their roster.
And the Lakers were successful at persuading Spencer Dinwiddie to join the team, signing the veteran guard Saturday.
Dinwiddie sat a few rows off the court Friday night with Lakers vice president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka to watch the Lakers beat New Orleans 139-122.
“Spencer is returning to his roots and the city where his journey began,” Pelinka said in a statement. “We welcome him back to his hometown of Los Angeles. We are thrilled for him to wear the iconic Lakers uniform in front of his family and friends. His play-making and aggressiveness from the guard position provides us valuable depth as we continue our strong push toward the back-half of the season. Spencer adds a wealth of experience to our roster and brings proven success in the postseason.”
D’Angelo Russell finishes with 30 points as the Lakers score 87 points in the first half of a 139-122 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans.
Dinwiddie, who was traded to Toronto from Brooklyn and waived, met with his former organization, Dallas, on Thursday in New York City.
In addition to visiting with Pelinka, Dinwiddie and his representatives sat with Joey and Jesse Buss in the bunker suite seats across from the Lakers’ bench.
This season for Brooklyn, Dinwiddie averaged 12.6 points and 6.0 assists while shooting 39.1% from the field and 32% from three-point range. In two seasons with Dallas (before being traded for Kyrie Irving), he shot 40.4% from three and averaged 17.1 points per game.
“Playmaking, another ball handler, another shot-maker. Another guy, another veteran,” LeBron James said when asked what Dinwiddie would bring. “Any time you can add a veteran with that ability, it helps. So we’ll see what happens.”
Anthony Davis echoed James.
“Obviously, we’ve seen what he did with Brooklyn, what he did with Dallas making big plays for them,” Davis said. “He’s a well-established player.”
The Lakers picked a good night to make a strong impression, scoring 139 points while having all five starters finish with at least 20 points — something no Laker team has done since 1984.
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“I think just, with all the guys we have, it’s going to allow guys to step up when their names are called. Guys did a good job,” D’Angelo Russell said. “I think the chemistry is definitely growing. Trade deadline just ended so guys are a little bit more comfortable. So I think it’s only going to get better from here.”
After the game, Dinwiddie and Pelinka walked back toward the Lakers’ locker room.
Russell, who played in Brooklyn with Dinwiddie earlier in his career, said that he was a fan of his game. Asked by one reporter what kind of person Dinwiddie is, Russell might’ve dropped a hint.
“Y’all get to know him soon,” Russell said.
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