Spencer: Everything about exit from Nets was mischaracterized

Spencer Dinwiddie flashed a smile and shrugged.

Back at Barclays Center for the first time since his roller-coaster second stint with the Nets ended with a February trade, the now-Lakers guard didn’t hesitate when he was asked if anything about his Brooklyn exit had been mischaracterized.

“Everything,” Dinwiddie said Sunday before the Lakers’ 116104 win. “Everything. Every. Single. Thing. Everything.”

The Nets’ deadline-day trade of Dinwiddie to the Raptors, who then waived him, ended an upand-down partnership in which the veteran guard filled multiple roles for a rebuilding Nets team but never settled into a consistent one this season.

The Nets intended to use Ben Simmons as their primary point guard – Dinwiddie’s role down the stretch last season – and made Dinwiddie the starting shooting guard to begin 2023-24. That shooting guard position quickly became more crowded, however, as 22-year-old Cam Thomas repeatedly delivered offensive explosions to start the season.

Dinwiddie, 30, reverted to point guard once Simmons’ ailing back cost him 38 consecutive games from Nov. 8 to Jan. 27, but as the trade deadline neared, speculation swirled that Dinwiddie wanted out.

“I know you guys obviously have a job to do,” Dinwiddie said Sunday when asked if he wanted to clarify anything about his exit. “I know that people say what they say from other places, whether it be (an) organization, other positions or whatever. So sometimes, obviously, as a player, things get mischaracterized or your voice gets drowned out. That’s just kind of the situation I ended up in.”

On Sunday, Dinwiddie offered a diplomatic response about the Nets’ decision not to feature him at point guard entering this season.

“Every organization goes the direction they want to go and feels like they’re gonna do the best job they can for the fans,” Dinwiddie said. “I just hope that, obviously, they continue to do what’s best for the Brooklyn Nets fans.”