Could Dinwiddie Join the CBA? How Much Does the 33-Year-Old Guard Have Left?

Brothers, do you still remember Dinwiddie?

He may be coming to play in the CBA.

According to domestic reports, former NBA player Dinwiddie is interested in playing in China. An agency team is currently helping facilitate the move, but more details are still pending.

First, a look at Dinwiddie's situation: he is now almost certainly unlikely to return to the NBA.

Dinwiddie was the 38th overall pick in the second round of the 2014 draft. He began his career with the Pistons, became known with the Nets, and later played for the Wizards, Mavericks, Nets again, Lakers and other teams.

Many fans still remember Dinwiddie's peak period. In the 2019-20 season with the Nets, he averaged 20.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, 6.8 assists and 0.6 steals per game.

In the following seasons, Dinwiddie remained an important rotation player. In the 2021-22 season, he helped the Mavericks reach the Western Conference Finals, averaging 15.8 points as a reserve player (14.2 points per game in the playoffs).

But after that, Dinwiddie's situation changed rapidly.

After helping the Mavericks reach the Western Conference Finals, Dinwiddie was traded by Dallas to the Nets the following season.

After another season (the 2023-24 season), Dinwiddie was sent by the Nets to the Lakers. That season became one of the final turning points of his NBA career:

— With the Nets, he averaged 30.7 minutes and 12.6 points per game.

— With the Lakers, he averaged 24.2 minutes and 6.8 points per game.

After his time with the Lakers, the Mavericks gave him another minimum contract. During that deal, Dinwiddie played 79 games, averaging 27 minutes, 11.0 points, 2.6 rebounds and 4.4 assists, with shooting splits of 39.7%, 38.9% and 88.0%.

But as everyone knows, the Mavericks underwent major changes in the 2024-25 season, with Luka Doncic traded, Kyrie Irving injured, and the team falling out of championship contention. Objectively speaking, Dinwiddie's numbers need to be viewed with some discount.

After that season, during the 2025 offseason, something interesting happened.

Dinwiddie was first targeted by the Hornets and signed a fully guaranteed minimum contract. However, before the regular season began, the Hornets unexpectedly waived him, and Dinwiddie has not returned to the NBA since.

After leaving the NBA, Dinwiddie joined European club Bayern Munich. Reports said Bayern offered him an annual salary of more than $2 million, but in January 2026 the two sides mutually agreed to end the contract for personal reasons.

During his brief European stint, Dinwiddie recorded 16 games, averaging 24.3 minutes, 12.1 points, 2.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists. His scoring average ranked second on the team.

Whether in the NBA or Europe, Dinwiddie's characteristics are very clear, with obvious strengths and weaknesses.

On the positive side, Dinwiddie has versatile on-ball offensive skills, excels at initiating offense through pick-and-rolls, attacks the basket effectively, shoots free throws well, and is willing to take clutch shots and difficult attempts.

In addition, Dinwiddie has good game control and basketball IQ, with a very low turnover rate. He was once among the league's best at managing assist-to-turnover ratios and can serve as a second-unit offensive organizer.

On the downside, Dinwiddie's streaky nature is obvious. He can be brilliant one game and ineffective the next, with low efficiency and inconsistency. His NBA career shooting percentage is only 41.4% and his three-point percentage is 33.3%; his European league shooting percentage was only 38%.

In addition, Dinwiddie's role is relatively limited. He remains primarily a scorer who relies on individual offense, his playmaking is not elite, and his off-ball activity is not strong, making it difficult for him to adapt to a spot-up shooting role.

Most importantly, Dinwiddie's defense is a major weakness. His lateral quickness is poor, his defensive impact is generally negative, and teams can become worse defensively when he is on the court.

Looking at today's free-agent market, it is understandable why Dinwiddie is without an NBA contract. In today's league, it is especially difficult for backup scorers like him, who need the ball, struggle without it, and have defensive issues, to secure NBA deals.

Several examples show this. Cameron Thomas averaged 20-plus points per game for two consecutive seasons and still remains unsigned; Mathurin, meanwhile, recently signed a two-year, $16 million contract.

Players like this may not fit the NBA, but the situation is different in the CBA. Given his playing style, Dinwiddie could be one of the foreign players best suited for the CBA.

It is also worth noting that Dinwiddie is a spokesperson for a domestic brand, which could help facilitate a move to the CBA. Dinwiddie is only 33 years old and remains in his prime years. The CBA? It is certainly something to look forward to.