NBA Rumors: Lakers Trading for Surprise Point Guard?

Dinwiddie is reportedly disgruntled in Brooklyn, as he is being accused of coasting through games. The former Colorado Buffaloes star is averaging 13.5 points per game, his lowest scoring numbers since 2021-22. That season marked his return from a torn ACL.

Zach Lowe of ESPN took a look at some more statistics that seem to back up those claims. “He has attempted six or fewer field goals in five of Brooklyn’s past seven games-and only 16 2-point shots total in that stretch. That is a point guard in name only-floating, half-present. Dinwiddie is averaging 14 drives per 100 possessions — the second-lowest rate of his career, per Second Spectrum. His shots at the rim are near a career-low level. Both numbers are tracking down. It almost looks as if Dinwiddie is on some kind of strike.”

Perhaps the Lakers desperate need for playmakers would reignite Dinwiddie’s spark. Ironically, when Dinwiddie’s Nets played the Lakers last night, he put up a solid scoring effort. A 19-point effort on only 11 shots was enough to help the Nets win 130-118 in LA.

Dinwiddie’s History

Dinwiddie is adored by Nets fans, mostly for what he contributed during his first stint in Brooklyn. Originally drafted by the Detroit Pistons in 2014, Dinwiddie was traded to the Chicago Bulls in 2016. He only appeared for the Bulls in preseason, before being waived.

Brooklyn then decided to sign him a few months later, and that’s where Dinwiddie found his footing in the NBA. His best season came in 2019-20, when he averaged 20.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 6.8 assists. The Nets made the playoffs that year, albeit exiting in a first round sweep, courtesy of the Toronto Raptors.

Lakers Trade Pieces

Dinwiddie is in the last year of a three-year, $54 million contract. If the Lakers are keen on Dinwiddie, the easy choice would be to trade D’Angelo Russell for him. Russell is in the first year of the two-year, $36 million deal that he inked with the Lakers this past summer. Russell enjoyed his best years in Brooklyn, starring alongside Dinwiddie from 2017-2019. However, the former Buckeye is three years younger than Dinwiddie, and the Lakers may be reluctant to add another aging player to their roster.

Rui Hachimura could also be a viable trade candidate for the Lakers. LA had big hopes for Hachimura, as they signed him to a three-year, $51 million extension in the summer. However, the 25-year-old has struggled as of late, after a promising debut campaign in 2022-23 with the Purple and Gold.

The Lakers have retooled their roster so many times in recent years that one wonders if continuity is the answer they so desperately try to avoid. Regardless, LA seems hellbent on making a move. Could a Dinwiddie trade be the answer for the Lakers?