According to a team press release, veteran point guard Spencer Dinwiddie has officially signed with the Mavericks to a one-year contract. On July 22, there was an earlier story about the arrangement.
“We are happy to have Spencer back in Dallas,” Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison stated. Spencer possesses experience as a team member and is aware of our goals. His playmaking, adaptability, and enthusiasm at the guard position provide our team tremendous depth and set us up for success in the upcoming year.
Reports regarding the specifics of the Mavs’ contract with Dinwiddie are still pending. Dallas doesn’t have much leeway below the first tax apron, so a minimum-salary deal looks more plausible, even though the team could theoretically offer more than the veteran’s minimum using the mid-level or bi-annual exception.
Dinwiddie, 31, spent nearly a full year as a Maverick in 2022–2023 before that. As part of the return for Kristaps Porzingis, he was traded from Washington to Dallas in February 2022 at the trade deadline. Later, in the deal package for Kyrie Irving, he was shipped to Brooklyn in February 2023.
Throughout his initial stay in Dallas, Dinwiddie performed admirably, averaging 17.1 points, 4.9 assists, and 3.1 rebounds in 32.3 minutes per game across 76 games (60 starts). During that period, he recorded a shooting line of.466/.404/.788, which is significantly higher than his career averages for field goals and three-pointers.
In 76 games (52 starts) for the Nets and Lakers in 2023–24, the seasoned guard was less productive, averaging 10.5 points, 4.7 assists, and 2.7 rebounds in 28.3 minutes of shooting.392/.337/.805.
According to Brian Lewis of The New York Post (Twitter link), Dinwiddie still has a property in Texas, and his partner is from the area, so the hope is that a return to Dallas would help spark a bounce-back season. Additionally, Dinwiddie and Irving are reunited thanks to this transfer; the two guards were teammates in Brooklyn from 2019 to 21.
Dinwiddie would be the 14th Maverick with a guaranteed contract for 2024–2025 if his salary is fully guaranteed. The club would need to remove 15-man A.J. Lawson in order to create way for veteran forward Markieff Morris, whose return is anticipated, as Lawson is not a guaranteed player.
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