Rival’s notable addition should not be a concern for the Golden State Warriors.
While the Golden State Warriors continue to consider what to do with two available roster spaces, one of their main competitors has made a free agency splash following Thursday’s trade deadline.
As first reported by The Athletic’s Shams Charania on Saturday, former Brooklyn Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie has signed with the Los Angeles Lakers after being traded to and then dismissed by the Toronto Raptors on Thursday.
The Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers will square-off on a further three occasions over the next two months
The news comes as no surprise, given that early reports claimed Dinwiddie would select between the Lakers and the Dallas Mavericks, and the 30-year-old was seen sitting close to Los Angeles General Manager Rob Pelinka during the team’s victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday night.
Dinwiddie was largely regarded as the finest player on the market after the trade deadline, averaging 13.6 points and 5.3 assists over a 10-year career. He finished third in Most Improved Player vote in 2017-18, then fourth in Sixth Man of the Year voting the following season.
As a team over the second tax apron, the Warriors were unable to sign Dinwiddie or any other player earning more than the mid-level exception. The 6’5″ guard had a deal for $18.9 million that was set to expire.
The Warriors have already seen Dinwiddie twice this season in a pair of meetings with the Nets, and they will see him and the Lakers three more times as they prepare to visit Crypto.com Arena twice after the All-Star break, followed by another duel at Chase Center.
Dinwiddie was clearly dissatisfied at the conclusion of his time in Brooklyn, although the extent to which this contributed to his lower output is unclear. He had become one of the league’s most inefficient offensive players this season, shooting 39.1% from the field and 32% from three.
Dinwiddie’s recent problems included a nine-point, three-of-12 shooting showing against Golden State on Monday, but he did score 16 points and 14 assists in their first meeting at Chase Center in December.
Dinwiddie’s addition to the Lakers may be overblown, but it should not bother the Warriors or any other team slated to face them in the second half of the season. A fantastic talent to have, but LeBron James, D’Angelo Russell, and Austin Reaves will most likely continue to handle the majority of the ball and make the plays.
The Warriors’ first encounter with the Lakers produced a memorable double-overtime contest at Chase Center two weeks ago, with James and Stephen Curry scoring 82 points in Golden State’s one-point loss.
