2019 NBA free agency tracker: Grades for every deal so far
Jared Dudley: 1 year, $2.6 million (Los Angeles Lakers)
Free agent Jared Dudley has agreed to a one-year, $2.6M deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, agent Mark Bartelstein of @PrioritySports tells ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 2, 2019
On the one hand, good for Jared Dudley continuing to work his way onto quality NBA teams and get paid despite turning 34 next week and despite his dwindling numbers. This is also a sensible addition for the Los Angeles Lakers, making sure they don’t miss out on all the quality role players on the market as they await Kawhi Leonard’s decision.
However, relying on Dudley to do too much outside of mentoring young players, hitting the occasional 3 and making smart passes off the bench would be a mistake. While he’s renowned for being a terrific chemistry guy in the locker room, smart player and loyal teammate to the point of annoying all opposing fanbases, what he can contribute on the court isn’t quite up to par anymore.
Dudley’s 3-point percentage has been on the decline the last few seasons (37.9 percent in 2016-17, 36.3 percent in 2017-18, then 35.1 percent last year), and he’s only good for 15-20 minutes at this stage. The Lakers will need all the help they can get in filling out their bench with limited cap space (especially if Kawhi joins), but Dudley’s impact will be felt when it comes to managing all these superstar egos, more so than what he can provide on the stat sheet.
Grade: B