NEW YORK — Spencer Dinwiddie declined the player option on the final year of his contract and will hit unrestricted free agency on Aug. 6, according to a league source. The deadline to make a decision on the option, worth $12.3 million, was June 20.
The Nets’ free-agent combo guard suffered a partial ACL tear in his right knee three games into the regular season. He has recovered from the injury, however, and was fully cleared to return to basketball activities on June 22, one of the fastest recoveries from an ACL tear in NBA history. The New York Daily News reported Dinwiddie had his sights set to return for the NBA Finals, set to begin on July 8.
Dinwiddie, however, is unlikely to return to the Nets after taking a below-market-value three-year deal worth $34 million. A source told The Daily News the combo guard wants to go home, or “wants the bag.”
“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.
“We’ll deal with Spencer when the time comes,” Nets GM Sean Marks said in his end-of-the-season press conference. “And, obviously Spencer has put himself in a position to secure his future long-term. We’d obviously love to play a role in that, whether that’s here or whether we can help him. But you know, we’ll focus on that at a later date.”
Dinwiddie is overdue for a large payday. He averaged about 21 points, seven assists and 3.5 rebounds per game last season and shouldered the Nets’ offense while Kyrie Irving and Caris LeVert each missed more than 20 straight games with injuries. He also hit a buzzer-beater to beat the Lakers last season in the Nets’ final game before the season went on hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
For reference, Oklahoma City’s Kemba Walker signed a four-year, $140 million max contract with the Celtics, who dealt him to the Thunder in a deal highlighted by Al Horford. Walker will earn $73 million over the next two seasons alone and has averaged 20 points and five assists over the course of his career. Lakers free agent Dennis Schroder turned down a four-year, $84 million contract extension, and Bucks guard Jrue Holiday signed a five-year, $126 million contract with the Pelicans at age 27. Dinwiddie is 28.
Dinwiddie’s status for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics is also unclear. He reportedly acquired a Nigerian passport in April, but is not on the country’s 49-man preliminary roster. The basketball world has not seen him since late December, when the Nets were adjusting to playing with superstars, and the rest of the roster was included in trade rumors. A strong performance for Team Nigeria, which also features Denver’s Monte Morris, Toronto’s OG Anunoby, and both Miami youngsters KZ Okpala and Precious Achiuwa, could drive Dinwiddie’s market higher.
The Hoop Analysis Network is reporting the Miami Heat have interest in signing Dinwiddie to join Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo in South Beach. Kevin Durant and Heat free agent Victor Oladipo are good friends and are each from Maryland, but recent reports suggest Oladipo is seeking the max.
The Mavericks are another team with interest in Dinwiddie, according to a source, and the Nets guard will be one of the more coveted players in free agency. Dinwiddie’s interest in Dallas or Miami is unclear.
