Dinwiddie, Lowry, Already Off the Buyout Market — Sign With the Lakers and 76ers
Los Angeles, CA / Philadelphia, PA (PSF) — Spencer Dinwiddie and Kyle Lowry have been signed, just days after the NBA trade deadline concluded.
The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported Dinwiddie’s deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, where he will receive the $1.5 million mid-level exception, and ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Lowry’s decision to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers after being bought out by the Hornets.
Dinwiddie, 30, formerly played for the Brooklyn Nets, his second stint with them. Originally a second-round pick of the Detroit Pistons in 2014, Dinwiddie has solidified himself in the NBA as an effective operator of an offense, even factoring in his below-average efficiency as a scorer for the bulk of his career.
He has started all 48 games he has played in this season, averaging 12.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 6 assists on a rough 39.1/32/78.1 shooting slash line. His 39.1 percent overall field goal percentage is the fourth worst in the league, behind new Sun Royce O’Neal, and rookies Keyonte George and Scoot Henderson, however his overall +/- (whether the team outscores or gets outscored by the other team when he’s on the court) is just —27, meaning Dinwiddie has had a minimal negative impact.
His net rating (the difference between his offensive and defensive rating) is —1.0, validating the plus-minus as saying that Dinwiddie has been a roughly league-average player this season.
His fit on the Lakers should be clear. With D’Angelo Russell penciled in as the starting point guard for the rest of the season, Dinwiddie will likely be tasked with running the second unit for the Lakers as the primary ball-handler. Regarded as a solid defender, Dinwiddie will also allow Lakers’ coach Darvin Ham to tinker with lineups to add defensive flexibility to the backcourt, while allowing Austin Reaves, a 37.5 percent catch-and-shoot three-point shooter, to play off the ball more in the second unit.
With free-agent signing Gabe Vincent recently undergoing surgery on his left knee, and struggling in the 5 games he played, a backup ball-handling guard was an area of need for the Lakers, and Dinwiddie should fill that role nicely. Although the fit in terms of role is clean, as a Guard who is not particularly efficient scoring off-ball, the fit next to two primary ball-handlers in Russell and LeBron James may take awhile to get adjusted to. Regardless, Dinwiddie is a nice acquisition at just the $1.5 million mid-level exception, and he should be a contributor to a team with playoff aspirations, just like he was as recently as 2022 for the Dallas Mavericks.
Lowry, 37, returns to his hometown of Philadelphia following his buyout agreement with the Charlotte Hornets. His deal was reported by Wojnarowski to be a 1-year, $2.8 million deal.
A 6-time All-Star, a 2015-2016 All-NBA selection, and a 2019 NBA Champion with the Raptors, Lowry has had a long, successful career in the NBA. A first-round pick by the Memphis Grizzlies in 2006, the 76ers will be Lowry’s 5th stop in the NBA.
Lowry’s path to playing time is slightly more unclear, as the 76ers recently acquired guard Cameron Payne from the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for guard Patrick Beverly. Payne and Lowry will likely both play staggered minutes, and both will likely both spell All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey and play alongside him.
Since signing with the Miami Heat before the 2021-2022 season, Lowry’s age has seemingly started to catch up with him, even while remaining an effective player. Although his defensive capabilities are not what they used to be, he is still an effective primary ball-handler who can facilitate while leading a unit and directing the offense. While he is averaging just 8.2 points per game this season, the lowest since his Sophomore NBA campaign with the Memphis Grizzlies and Houston Rockets, he has still averaged 4 assists per game and is making threes at a 38.5 percent clip on 4.4 attempts per game.
Lowry’s role should look similar to veteran Chris Paul’s role with the Golden State Warriors. He will be asked to lead the second unit and start on a few occasions, providing veteran leadership and experience while facilitating as a ball handler and chipping in around 8-10 points a night, with potential for more. Without superstar Joel Embiid for the considerable future, Lowry’s veteran presence should be a welcome additional to a team trying to keep themselves afloat in the playoff race.
