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The moment it became clear Spencer Dinwiddie had no future on the Dallas Mavericks, he was right to move

Originally posted on NBA Analysis Network
By Jonah Kubicek | Last updated Jul 3, 2025 3:30 PM ET

Spencer Dinwiddie has signed with the Charlotte Hornets, calling it a wrap on his second stint with the Dallas Mavericks.

The Dallas Mavericks, heading into the 2025 NBA offseason, needed to find a point guard to serve as a stopgap for the injured Kyrie Irving. They would add D’Angelo Russell in free agency, effectively pushing Spencer Dinwiddie out.

Dinwiddie, an unrestricted free agent, found success as a backup and starting guard in his second stint with Dallas. He would ultimately sign a one-year deal with the Charlotte Hornets, and is expected to be traded this season away from a crowded Hornets’ backcourt.

While the Mavs’ signing of Russell was the icing on the cake, it has long been clear that Dinwiddie had no future in Dallas.

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Play-in role revealed that Dinwiddie was on the way out

Dinwiddie started 11 of the 20 final games of the season for the Mavericks after Kyrie Irving tore his ACL. In that span, he averaged 13.9 points and 6.6 assists per game during that span, although he shot only 33% from deep.

Still, for an injury replacement, that’s really all you can ask for, especially with Anthony Davis missing time during that span as well.

Despite his success, the Mavericks made it clear that they would not lean on him.

In their win over the Sacramento Kings in the first play-in tournament game, he played only two minutes.

The next game in the Mavericks’ must-win contest against the Memphis Grizzlies, with a trip to the playoffs on the line, he racked up only four minutes.

In both games, he failed to score a point.

In both play-in games, Dallas did not start a point guard, opting for a backcourt of Naji Marshall and Klay Thompson.

However, Brandon Williams and Dante Exum both got significant play off the bench, and both players have been signed through next season, indicating quite plainly that the Mavs had plans to move on from Dinwiddie.

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Spencer Dinwiddie is not long for the Charlotte Hornets

Dinwiddie agreed to a one-year deal with the Hornets, joining a crowded guard rotation.

Between Dinwiddie, LaMelo Ball, Tre Mann, Nick Smith Jr., and Collin Sexton, the Hornets have five players who can run the offense, and that’s not counting free agent Seth Curry, who could very well come back.

With Ball, Brandon Miller, Kon Knueppel, and Moussa Diabaté in town, Charlotte has a young core that they will continue to build around. Dinwiddie, 32, does not fit their timeline at all.

Chances are, the Hornets will look to flip both Dinwiddie and Sexton at the trade deadline for either raw youngsters or future draft capital. While neither will likely command first-round value, the Hornets had the means to add them both and will hope to get a return on their investment.

Dinwiddie will make the $3.3 million veteran minimum in Charlotte, making his contract easy to move later this year.

This article first appeared on NBA Analysis Network and was syndicated with permission.

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