As he discussed his continuing struggles as a bench player for the Los Angeles Lakers, Spencer Dinwiddie intriguingly made a significant reference to the starting role he seized during his time for the Brooklyn Nets earlier this season.
“Obviously, the way sh*t shook out in Brooklyn kind of put me more so in this box than my game being in that box,” he told Jovan Buha of The Athletic. “It’s not like I’m 35 or coming off injury or washed or anything. … Like, I’m one of them guys. Let’s not get it twisted. But I also understand being a part of a bigger unit.”
Spence has been enduring a cold stretch since his Brooklyn exit
Dinwiddie notably started for 48 games with the Nets in the first half of this season, averaging 12.6 points and 6.0 assists. However, as the trade deadline hit the calendar, the ball club decided to deal him with the Toronto Raptors.
The Raptors have instantly released Spencer, which cleared the way for him to eventually sign with the Lakers for the remainder of the 2023-24 season. But contrary to the high hopes and expectations that they initially shared upon the completion of the pact, the veteran guard has dramatically struggled since his arrival in L.A. with woeful numbers of 4.7 points in 36.1 percent shooting while playing for 23.4 minutes per game.
Nets pulled off the best move by acquiring Schroder for Dinwiddie
Spencer's ongoing downslide of play for L.A. can only prove beneficial for the Nets, as they were able to use him to acquire Dennis Schroder.
Schroder, who was acquired by Brooklyn from Toronto at the expense of Dinwiddie, has been nothing but impressive thus far in his point guard service. The German guard has averaged 14.6 points and 5.7 assists for 30.9 minutes in the last 17 games since being obtained last February, and he has given the team much better offensive options with his savvy playmaking, craftiness, and shooting.
Upon the dumping of Dinwiddie’s expiring contract, the Nets truly were able to secure a major win by adding Schroder to their roster. As such, Dennis also offers security for them as he'll remain in contract until the 2024-25 season.
While the 2nd half of this 2023-24 has been as disastrous as it could have ever been, the Nets would rather stick around Schroder as his skill set can still be a solid asset in their preparation for next year's bounce-back rally.
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