The Los Angeles Lakers did nothing at the 2024 trade deadline as there were no deals that became available to the team. Instead, the big fish that the Lakers caught right after the deadline was Spencer Dinwiddie, who was traded to the Toronto Raptors and subsequently released.
Dinwiddie, at the very least, was signed to provide the Lakers with D'Angelo Russell insurance. If D'Lo's hot streak ended and he reverted back to his old ways in the playoffs then the Lakers had another point guard to throw at teams.
The hope was that Dinwiddie's play would reverse course from what it had been all season. That has not necessarily been the case as the veteran point guard has struggled in Los Angeles. It is a small sample size, to be fair, but it is hard to be impressed with what Dinwiddie has done thus far.
Spencer Dinwiddie’s first 5 Laker Games:
— The Laker Files (@LakerFiles) February 25, 2024
23 Min, 3 Pts, 2 Asts, 1/5 FG
24 Min, 0 Pts, 1 Ast, 0/6 FG
18 Min, 5 Pts, 3 Asts, 2/6 FG
28 Min, 10 Pts, 4 Asts, 4/6 FG
31 Min, 6 Pts, 7 Asts, 2/6 FG
Rough Start. pic.twitter.com/pBVxPbMEKj
The Lakers do not have the luxury of waiting for Dinwiddie to figure it out and with so many injuries on the roster, the team can use all the depth it can get. With that in mind, there is one current veteran free agent that could give the Lakers what they need if Dinwiddie ends up being a bust.
Lakers should sign Joe Harris after whiffing on Spencer Dinwiddie
Veteran sharpshooter Joe Harris was waived by the Detroit Pistons at the trade deadline and has not signed with a new team yet. Normally, someone like Harris would be scooped up instantly by a contending team but the new rules under the CBA have killed his market.
No teams over the second tax apron (which are most of the contenders) could sign Harris after he was waived because his salary was so high. That left the mid-tier contenders, like the Lakers, and no team has stepped forward to sign Harris.
The Lakers still have $3.3 million in space before reaching the first tax apron so the team has the ability to add a minimum free agent without incurring any additional penalties. Harris definitely makes the most sense of anyone on the depleted market if the Lakers want to take advantage of the space the team has.
Harris is a career 40% three-point shooter who has led the league in three-point percentage twice in his career. Hit shooting numbers are down this season but that could be a product of the terrible system in Detroit more so than his ability to hit threes.
If the Lakers are going to make a run in the playoffs then they need someone who can consistently hit threes off the bench. If Rui Hachimura is staying in the starting lineup once Jarred Vanderbilt returns then LA will not have a single consistent shooter to turn to off the bench.
The one hiccup that the Lakers have is there are not many candidates to waive this season. The only players that could reasonably be waived are Dinwiddie, Max Christie, and Taurean Prince. Prince is the obvious choice of those three but Darvin Ham loves him too much for the team to do that.
But then again, once Vando is healthy there is really no need for Prince, so waiving him in favor of a shooter like Harris might be the move.