As a second round pick, Spencer Dinwiddie has put together a nice career that is still ongoing. Selected 38th overall in the 2014 NBA Draft, he has played 11 seasons in the NBA. Next season will be his 12th, and it will be with his sixth different team. As first reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania, Spencer Dinwiddie has agreed on a one-year deal with the Charlotte Hornets.
Free agent guard Spencer Dinwiddie has agreed to a one-year deal with the Charlotte Hornets, sources tell ESPN. Dinwiddie averaged 14.3 points and 6.2 assists as a starter for the Mavs a season ago and provides a reliable scorer, passer and leader for a young Hornets backcourt. pic.twitter.com/piYDtPQOxt
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 2, 2025
Hornets Add 11-Year Veteran To Solidify Backcourt Depth Chart
Spencer Dinwiddie Is Joining The Hornets On A One-Year Deal
Contract details for Dinwiddie’s deal are not known as of this writing, but one would expect that it is likely for the veteran’s minimum. That is what he played on last season while with the Dallas Mavericks.
The 6-foot-5 point guard played a larger role than expected as the season went along. The Mavericks traded superstar guard Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers which freed up more minutes in the backcourt. Then, in early March, Kyrie Irving tore his ACL, ending his season with more than a month remaining.
Altogether, Dinwiddie appeared in 79 games (30 starts) for Dallas in 2024-25. Playing 27.0 minutes per contest, he posted averages of 11.0 points, 2.6 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 0.9 steals. Dinwiddie possessed a solid assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.4. He shot 41.6% from the field, 33.4% from beyond the arc, and 80.2% from the free-throw line.
Other than in 2020-21 when he played just three games, Dinwiddie has now averaged double figures in scoring for seven straight years. In 2018-19 with the Brooklyn Nets, he finished fourth in Sixth Man of the Year voting. The following year, also with Brooklyn, Dinwiddie averaged career-bests of 20.6 points and 6.8 assists.
Charlotte Haven’t Seen The Playoffs In Quite Some Time
The Hornets have now missed the playoffs in nine consecutive seasons. Charlotte hasn’t come close to contending as they own a combined 67-179 record over the last three years.
The 32-year-old Dinwiddie isn’t the first longtime veteran that the Hornets have added in free agency, or via trade, to try to help change that. Also joining the team this offseason are 35-year-old Mason Plumlee, 32-year-old Pat Connaughton, and 26-year-old (but seven-year veteran) Collin Sexton.
Dinwiddie will be joining a backcourt that features former All-Star LaMelo Ball. Turning 24 years old in August, Ball has experienced major issues staying on the court. Over the last three seasons, he has only participated in 105 outings. Other players who will likely see minutes in Charlotte’s backcourt, when at full strength, are the aforementioned Sexton (acquired in trade with Utah Jazz), Tre Mann (re-signed to a three-year, $24 million deal), and Josh Green (started 67 games for Charlotte in 2024-25).
While it seems like a crowded backcourt, head coach Charles Lee will likely find playing time for Dinwiddie. With Ball’s injury history (Mann also only appeared in 13 games last season), it is also nice to have veteran stability to make sure the team doesn’t complete sink if their star goes down once again.
Photo credit: © Sam Sharpe-Imagn Images
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