This could be an offseason defined by significant change for the Los Angeles Lakers. Several key members of their roster can or will become free agents this summer, starting, of course, with LeBron James.
The team opted to not make any trades ahead of the February trade deadline, which disappointed many fans. The only meaningful personnel move it made was to sign Spencer Dinwiddie, a veteran guard who had been traded by the Brooklyn Nets to the Toronto Raptors and was subsequently waived.
Dinwiddie had a few scattered moments of excellence. But overall, he was a disappointment, and some feel he was misused offensively by Darvin Ham, who the team fired on Friday after two seasons as its head coach.
The guard, who is originally from the Southland, is about to become a free agent, and he says he would “love to be back” next season.
“I’m not somebody that necessary gets to call his own shots all the time,” Dinwiddie said. “That’s not my status in the league so we’ll have to see what happens. But if the Lakers want me back, I’d love to be back. Everything I said about this being a childhood dream and being able to play in my hometown, parents at every game, stuff like that, you couldn’t imagine anything better. Also playing alongside arguably the greatest player of all-time, right? There’s nothing really better than that.
“But you know how it is. Lakers are championship or bust so there’s probably going to be changes made and it’s all going to be in an effort to win the title. Obviously, if I’m able to be a part of that, it’ll be another dream come true.”
The 31-year-old isn’t the most efficient scorer, and his shot selection can be somewhat questionable. But his ability to attack downhill off the dribble and hit 3-pointers in catch-and-shoot situations could help the Lakers moving forward, especially if they hire a coach capable of utilizing his skills more than Ham did.