Mavericks signing Spencer Dinwiddie raises 8 burning questions immediately

The Dallas Mavericks made a big move to solidify their 15-man roster earlier this week as they signed Spencer Dinwiddie to a one-year deal. Dallas had been searching for more guard depth on the free agency market for some time, and they ended their search by signing Dinwiddie.

Dinwiddie was a big pickup for Dallas considering that he signed with the Mavs despite interest from the Los Angeles Lakers, and now he'll have the chance to play real minutes for Dallas during the season.

The Mavs needed a third creator badly, and that's exactly what Dinwiddie will bring and more.

Mavericks signing Spencer Dinwiddie raises 8 burning questions immediately

Last season for the Brooklyn Nets and Lakers, Dinwiddie averaged 10.5 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game while shooting 39.2 percent from the field and 33.7 percent from downtown. It wasn't the most efficient season for Dinwiddie, but being back in Dallas should help him get back to being his old self.

Dinwiddie thrived in Dallas during his first stint with the team, and Mavs fans are happy to have him back.

While Dinwiddie signing with the Mavs makes them considerably better, it also changes some things for the team. Here are eight main questions that the Dinwiddie signing by the Mavs creates immediately.

8. Where will Dinwiddie be in the Mavericks' rotation?

As evidenced by having one of the greatest duos in the NBA in Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic, the Dallas Mavericks are loaded at the guard spot. While no one expects Dinwiddie to start for the Mavs going into next year, where he ends up in the rotation will definitely be a talking point going into next season.

Outside of Doncic and Irving, the Mavs have two other players who can run the offense when needed in Jaden Hardy and Dante Exum. While Hardy did have an up-and-down season last year, his performance in the Western Conference Finals showed promise.

Exum, on the other hand, was elite during the regular season but crumbled once the playoffs hit.

Dinwiddie will undoubtedly fight with Exum and Hardy for minutes, and if I had to predict where Dinwiddie will be in the rotation, I'd guess that he would be ahead of both of them.

I could see Dinwiddie being the first guard off Dallas' bench along with Quentin Grimes, and he'll have the chance to play big minutes right away if he has a good training camp. Dinwiddie is the best creator out of anyone else on the Mavs' bench, and he has the potential to return to his peak form with Dallas.

7. Can Dinwiddie be the same defender that he was with the Lakers?

Before Spencer Dinwiddie signed with the Los Angeles Lakers in the middle of last season, he was used to being a ball-dominant player for most of his career. Dinwiddie had started in almost every game he played in over the previous four seasons, and he started in every game he played for the Brooklyn Nets that season.

Dinwiddie had almost always been a feature on offense, but things changed when he was on the Lakers. He was used as a 3-and-D guard, and while his scoring numbers were down, he made a big impact on defense.

Dinwiddie was one of the better defenders on the Lakers during the brief stint he spent there, and he showed that he can be a good defensive stopper. Standing at 6-foot-5 with a 6-foot-8 wingspan, Dinwiddie has the frame to be a disruptive defender.

With the Lakers, he showcased his ability to block shots as he averaged a career-high 0.5 blocks per game, and he had active hands on opponent drives. He may not have the same lateral speed he once had, but he showed that he can be a good defender during his time in Los Angeles and took tough defensive matchups.

That is one thing that many fans have forgotten about, and the Mavericks are going to be more dangerous than expected if he can lock down on that end. He isn't someone who will go out and make an All-Defensive team, but he holds his own on that end and can guard multiple positions.

6. Are there any hard feelings between Dinwiddie and the Mavericks after last year?

Last year, the Dallas Mavericks ended up having an open roster spot following the trade deadline as they traded more players than they acquired. This gave them an excellent opportunity to upgrade their roster even more following the trades for P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford, and the player they decided to prioritize on the buyout market was Spencer Dinwiddie.

It came down to Dinwiddie deciding to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers or the Mavs, and he ultimately chose to sign with Los Angeles. This decision by Dinwiddie was followed up by some strange comments when he tried to describe why he signed with the Lakers over the Mavericks, and Mavs fans didn't take it lightly.

It was an interesting situation, and Dinwiddie later cleared up these comments, but it's definitely a valid question if there are any hard feelings from last season.

The clear answer to this question if I had to guess would be no considering that they signed him, but no one knows exactly what happens behind closed doors. Dinwiddie was trying to make the best decision for himself at the time, and although it didn't end up working out, he came back around and joined the Mavs this summer.

Dinwiddie was an outstanding fit on and off the floor during his first stint with the team, and I expect both sides to be fully focused on what's ahead.

Playing as hard as they can to try to win the 2025 NBA Finals.

5. Will Dinwidde be fine with a smaller role?

During Spencer Dinwiddie's first stint with the Dallas Mavericks, he was heavily used within the offense and was a key piece to their success. He averaged 17.1 points, 4.9 assists, and 0.7 steals per game in 32.3 minutes per game, and he started in every game he played for the Mavs during the 2022-23 season.

While Dinwiddie is going to be a big help to the Mavs this season, he is likely going to have a much smaller role. Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving are the two main guards on the roster, and Dinwiddie will likely only start when one of them takes a night off.

His minutes per game likely won't be close to the 32.3 minutes per game he played in his previous stint with the Mavs, and that's something he has to be okay with. While playing for the Los Angeles Lakers last season, Dinwiddie was playing 24.2 minutes per game, but he only averaged 6.8 points per game while shooting 5.0 shots per game.

Dinwiddie's role changed significantly as a Laker, and he was used as a 3-and-D player more than an on-ball creator. He made a cryptic comment about his role during his time with the Lakers, and although he seemed okay with a different role, he must have an open mind when playing for Dallas this season.

This is expected, as Dinwiddie is a great locker room guy despite the rumors from his time with the Wizards, and Dinwiddie accepting whatever role he is given will help keep the Mavs' chemistry high.

4. How often will Dinwiddie share the floor with Luka Doncic?

One of the best parts about the Spencer Dinwiddie signing is that he can play on and off the ball. Combo guards are valued in today's NBA, and Dinwiddie is an excellent example of that.

Since Dinwiddie can play with or without the ball in his hands, he is someone who could share the floor often with Luka Doncic and play off the ball. Dinwiddie was excellent as a shooter off the catch during his first stint with Dallas, and his ability to play off the ball alongside Doncic was excellent.

Since Dinwiddie can bring the ball up if Doncic needs a breather and can be a secondary playmaker, the possibilities are endless when it comes to these guard-heavy lineups. Dinwiddie's size also gives him an advantage on both ends of the floor as he is 6-foot-5.

If Doncic and Dinwiddie can get on the same page again like they were in the past, then they are going to form a deadly duo. They already know how to play together, and Dinwiddie was the perfect signing for this team.

Doncic's stats may go down this season with Dinwiddie on the roster, but the team as a whole will benefit from having him back on the Mavericks. Dinwiddie ended the season with the Los Angeles Lakers hot as he shot 38.9 percent from three, and he will make the game so much easier for Doncic if he can keep his hot shooting up.

3. Will Jaden Hardy get traded before the trade deadline?

With Spencer Dinwiddie signing with the Dallas Mavericks to finish out their 15-man roster, it poses many questions for the other guards who will be coming off the bench. While this move looks like it'll benefit Quentin Grimes, the story may be a little different for Jaden Hardy.

Hardy will benefit from the veteran leadership that Dinwiddie provides as the two seemed to be close during Dinwiddie's first stint in Dallas, but Dinwiddie's arrival could mark the end of the road for Hardy.

Hardy was in and out of the Mavs' rotation last season, and despite the fact that he grew tremendously as a playmaker and stepped up during the playoffs, his play was inconsistent. In some games, he looked poised with the ball in his hands, and in other games, he was a bit out of control and along with that, his minutes were sporadic.

With Hardy being on an expiring contract combined with the fact that Dinwiddie could pass him in the rotation, he is someone who could get traded before the deadline if he isn't playing much. Someone like Hardy needs minutes to develop, and if he isn't getting much run for the Mavs, another team would likely happily trade for Hardy with the intention of developing him into a good role player.

Hardy is much more expendable with Dinwiddie on the roster, and Dinwiddie's arrival could signal that Hardy could be on the move if he doesn't earn a solidified spot in the rotation.

2. Which Spencer Dinwiddie are the Mavs going to get?

During Spencer Dinwiddie's first stint with the Dallas Mavericks, he was a dynamic scorer off the bench in his first season who later turned into a starter during his second season before being traded to the Brooklyn Nets as part of a deal for Kyrie Irving.

Dinwiddie was also a huge reason that the Mavs made a run to the Western Conference Finals in the 2022 NBA Playoffs, and he dropped 30 points in Dallas' Game 7 massacre of the Phoenix Suns. He was excellent as a starter and came off the bench, and now he has the chance to prove that he is still the same player now.

If the Mavs get that version of Dinwiddie, they could be in for their first NBA Finals win since 2011. He'd turn into the team's third scorer along with Klay Thompson and likely be the sixth man.

If the Mavs don't get that version of Dinwiddie, they'd still be getting someone who can take some pressure off of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving and be a third creator. Dinwiddie may not be the same scorer that he once was with the Mavs, but at his worst, he can still be a great backup point guard.

The Mavs don't necessarily need Dinwiddie to carry as heavy of an offensive load as he did during his first stint with Dallas, but it would be a pleasant surprise if he can average 12 or more points per game off the bench.

1. Will Dante Exum get benched?

Dante Exum's regular season for the Dallas Mavericks was spectacular to see as he was an elite role player and was an outstanding shooter. Exum was the best 3-point shooter on the team during the regular season, but he struggled during the playoffs.

Exum had no confidence in his limited minutes during the playoffs, and now that Spencer Dinwiddie is in the picture, Exum is someone who could get axed from the rotation if his same struggles from the playoffs persist into next season.

Exum's defense remains strong, as he can effectively guard one through three, but his offense was a question mark down the stretch. There was no direction in his game, and he didn't even seem like the same player.

With Jaden Hardy fighting for minutes as well, Exum is definitely someone who could see his minutes go down to start the year. The Mavericks were a few wins away from winning the NBA Finals last season, and that goal remains for this year.

Exum is also on an expiring contract, and considering his injury history, he is bound to miss some games. Building continuity with your rotation is important, and if Hardy and Dinwiddie outplay him, then he could find himself sitting on the bench more than usual next season.

Exum has more pressure on him than most people realize as he is in the middle of his prime and is playing for a contract next summer, and he is someone who could even get moved before the trade deadline if he isn't performing well.

For all the latest on Dante Exum, Spencer Dinwiddie, and the Dallas Mavericks heading into next season, stay tuned as we'll have you covered.