Chicago Bulls: Should AK try to top the Lakers for Spencer Dinwiddie?

There are mixed discussions going on at the moment about where the Brooklyn Nets standout 6-foot-5 and 215-pound 28-year-old point guard Spencer Dinwiddie will likely land this summer. It is pretty clear that Dinwiddie won’t be returning to the Nets ahead of next season, and there are some teams out there like the Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks that could make big plays for him.

One of the teams that did have some discussion pertaining to the pursuit of Dinwiddie that will always draw big headlines is the Los Angeles Lakers. There’s a need also for the Lakers to upgrade at the point guard position. It looks like the Lakers don’t want Dennis Schroder as their starting point guard next season.

Given how the Lakers finished up this playoff run with a first-round exit at the hands of the Western Conference Champion Phoenix Suns, it does make sense that they look for an upgrade at point guard this summer.

Dinwiddie could certainly be an option for teams like the Lakers and Bulls. But the matter of how much cap space Dinwiddie will consume is certainly a valid concern for each front office. The Bulls and Lakers both don’t have a ton of cap flexibility this summer.

Chicago Bulls should follow suit if Lakers try to get Spencer Dinwiddie in a sign-and-trade

There are expectations that Dinwiddie might want to command upward of $20 million for the annual salary on his next contract. That might be more than any big market team like the Knicks, Lakers, and/or Bulls will be willing to give him in the looming cycle of free agency.

Moreover, if there is an option for the Lakers to free up cap space by forming a sign-and-trade deal with someone like Kyle Kuzma in exchange for Dinwiddie, that could be a viable move. But that is also an idea for the Bulls to draw inspiration from.

Maybe there’s a way that the Nets could sweeten the pot if a sign-and-trade deal could be in the works swapping players like Dinwiddie and fourth-year Bulls power forward Lauri Markkanen. That could help the Bulls maximize the value of Markkanen while getting a solution to their point guard problem this summer.

If there is actual traction between the Lakers and Nets to make some sort of a sign-and-trade deal happen involving Dinwiddie, it is worth the Bulls seeing what they can do to land the 28-year-old guard. Dinwiddie could be the second-best point guard option in free agency this summer for the Bulls, behind impending restricted free agent Lonzo Ball of the New Orleans Pelicans.

Dinwiddie looked like he could have another solid season for the Nets prior to an unfortunate season-ending knee injury he suffered just a few games into the 2020-21 campaign. But he looks healthy and ready to go for a bounce back season in 2021-22.