Lakers Free Agent Target Sends Strong Message on Future

The Los Angeles Lakers have shown interest in many players, including a free agent and yes, he is a target. LA has been linked to veteran free agent guard Spencer Dinwiddie for quite some time. However, General Manager Rob Pelinka will have to pay a lot of money to get him.

Right after the end of the regular season, Dinwiddie decided to opt out of his player option for the next season with the Nets. He became an unrestricted free agent.

Dinwiddie had an ACL injury, but he is still a top option for coaches who may need someone like him. The Lakers may try to get him after handling Alex Caruso and Dennis Schroder.

LA Lakers to chase the free agent and target a sign-and-trade

The Nets veteran spoke with Howard Beck of Sports Illustrated. He mentioned his upcoming free agency and his value on the market.

“Now, for all the fans that think because I opted out I have to leave or something like that, no, this is very much in the Nets’ hands, you feel me?” Dinwiddie said on “The Crossover Pod.” “I think my full max is like five [years], 196 [million] or something like that. And nobody’s sitting here saying I’m going to get five, 196 — so before anybody tries to kill me, nobody’s saying that.

“But the Nets have the ability to do something that other people can’t. If they come to the table like that, and they’re being aggressive and are saying, ‘Hey we got five, 125 for you,’ I would say there’s a high likelihood that I go back to the Nets, you know what I mean? But if they don’t come to the table like that, and they’re like ‘Oh, we’re going to give you a three for 60,’ well, anybody can do that.”

Dinwiddie is going home

Dinwiddie comes from LA. Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News believes that Los Angeles is a preferred destination for the veteran. The Lakers may try to pull out a sign-and-trade to get him. The same goes for their city rivals.

Tomorrow on the Crossover: @SDinwiddie_25 goes deep on the Nets, free agency, crypto and his new business, @CalaxyApp.

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— Howard Beck (@HowardBeck) July 8, 2021

“’Home is the preferred destination,’ the source told The Daily News. ‘But he wants to secure his financial future, too.’

“Home for Dinwiddie is Los Angeles, where he spent the entire season rehabbing from his ACL tear at Phenom Sports Performance. If Dinwiddie were to join the Lakers or Clippers, it would have to be in a sign-and-trade. Even if Kawhi Leonard were to decline the player option on his contract and leave the Clippers in free agency, the team still would not have the cap space to sign Dinwiddie to a competitive contract.”

If the Lakers want to get him, they may send Kyle Kuzma and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope back.