Despite playing in just three games last season due to a partially torn ACL, Spencer Dinwiddie is going to opt out of the $12.3 million he is owed next season and become a free agent. It’s a smart move, his new deal is going to start at millions more than he would have gotten paid had he just opted in, plus he will get three or four years of security.
Where does Dinwiddie want to sign that new contract? Ideally in Los Angeles, reports Kristian Winfield at the New York Daily News.
“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.
And no sources around the league that have spoken to NBC Sports think Kawhi Leonard is likely to bolt the Clippers this offseason; he will re-sign for the max.
While both the Lakers and Clippers could use a point guard and secondary shot creator of Dinwiddie’s caliber — 20.6 points and 6.8 assists a game his last full season in Brooklyn, with above-average efficiency — it’s difficult to construct a sign-and-trade at the money Dinwiddie will command. Dinwiddie wants starting point guard money, which would be around $20 million a season, although coming off an ACL it could be a couple of million lower.
Capologist Eric Pincus broke it down for the Lakers.
A lot of those same hard-cap problems would come with any potential Clippers sign-and-trade as well, even if it were Patrick Beverley and Daniel Oturu (which gets the Clippers closer financially). The Nets will only do this if they can bring back someone who would help them win now — they are in their championship window — and it’s hard to put that kind of deal together with Lakers and Clippers because both of them are trying to win now, too.
Dinwiddie may have to settle for more money than a return to Los Angeles. Two teams to watch with some cap space and a need at point guard are New York Knicks and Dallas Mavericks.
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Report: Spencer Dinwiddie wants to go to Los Angeles, also wants big money originally appeared on NBCSports.com