Just a few days ago, the Mavs shattered the Lakers’ hopes of adding Klay Thompson to their roster. Set to part ways with the Warriors, many expected Klay to play in his hometown of LA for the final stage of his career. However, Laker Nation was stunned when he signed a three-year $50 million deal with the Mavs instead. And now, GM Nico Harrison is reportedly planning to steal another hometown kid from Rob Pelinka’s grasp for a possible reunion with Luka Doncic.

Obviously, we are talking about none other than veteran guard Spencer Dinwiddie, who is currently an unrestricted free agent after spending half a season with the Lakers. No, the Mavs’ interest in the 31YO is nothing new. In fact, before he signed with the Lakers back in February, even then the Mavs were gunning to add Spencer to their roster. However, Pelinka won the battle that time.

But with his one-year $1.5 million deal coming to an end, Harrison might re-enter the bidding war hoping to bring Dinwiddie back to Dallas. Maybe, the GM still sees potential in the veteran guard after what he was able to do during his previous tenure with the Mavs. Who can forget his 14.2 points average during the playoffs two years ago, which helped Luka Doncic and Co. reach the West Finals after over a decade? Although he wore the Mavs uniform for just a year, Dinwiddie played some of his best basketball in Dallas, averaging over seventeen points and nearly five assists, his highest scoring average out of all the teams he has played for in his career.

Meanwhile, he wasn’t able to have much of an impact in LA this season as he finished with his career’s lowest average since his 2020-21 season at 6.8 points. So, Harrison could easily add salt to Pelinka’s wounds by luring Dinwiddie to Dallas for a hope at a better future.

Who can the Mavs add if not Spencer Dinwiddie?

While Harrison looks keen on stealing Dinwiddie from Pelinka, the veteran guard might not be willing to leave his hometown. During an interview before heading into free agency, he expressed interest in re-signing with the Lakers, “If the Lakers want me back, I’d love to be back. Everything I said about this being a childhood dream and being able to play in my hometown, parents at every game, stuff like that, you couldn’t imagine anything better.”

And this could ruin the Mavs’ plan. However, they have another option of bringing back high-flying guard Dennis Smith Jr., who just finished his one-year deal with the Nets and entered free agency. Starting his career in Dallas and averaging an impressive 15.2 points in his rookie season, Smith also has deep ties with the team. Although his career has taken a hit in recent years, he might be able to make a comeback by returning to his original team.

Averaging nearly seven points this season, Smith is not a very lethal offensive player anymore. But he does make up for it with his incredible on-ball defense and ability to lock down elite guards. And we all know how much the Mavs need to improve on defense after their performance in the finals. While the best-case scenario for Harrison would be to add both Dinwiddie and Smith, even getting a hold of one of these stars will be a significant improvement for them. As for Rob Pelinka, he will have to look for another role player to fill the void if Dinwiddie departs.