​Rewriting the article, the Lakers’ decision to sever ties with a 41-year-old former Mavericks assistant coach who previously won a championship with the team in 2020 has drawn attention, as reported by The Sporting News. The publication notes that adding The Sporting News as a preferred source is possible by clicking here. The piece emphasizes that it is often still possible to relinquish a player’s free-agent rights even if that player has since retired and started another career.
The subject of the piece is a former Dallas Mavericks assistant coach who spent time with the Lakers as a player development staffer and had been part of the championship-winning environment in 2020. Although this individual is not currently active as a player for the Lakers or any NBA team, the news on Wednesday revealed that the Lakers officially cut ties with him five years after his final appearance with the franchise, and after his NBA career had concluded.
According to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto on X (formerly Twitter), the Lakers “officially renounced the free-agent rights to LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard, Dion Waiters, Luke Kennard, Marcus Smart, Maxi Kleber, Nick Smith Jr., Jared Dudley, Avery Bradley, Jaxson Hayes, Markieff Morris, and Wayne Ellington.” The article explains that Dudley, who was selected by the Charlotte Hornets (then the Bobcats) in the first round of the 2007 NBA Draft at No. 22, enjoyed a lengthy 14-year NBA career. Hailing from San Diego, California, Dudley remained in the league for more than a decade thanks to his high-energy play on both ends of the floor and his reliable three-point shooting as a role player.
When Dudley joined the Lakers in 2019, he was no longer a standout asset capable of logging 15 minutes per game. The former ACC Player of the Year posted averages of 1.0 point and 1.5 rebounds during his two-season Lakers stint, shooting 31.1 percent from the field and 38.1 percent from three-point range in limited playing time (7.4 minutes per game). After the 2020-21 season, Dudley retired from the NBA and soon joined the Mavericks’ coaching staff in 2021. He coached Doncic in Dallas for three and a half years before taking an assistant coaching role with the Denver Nuggets, where he has just completed his first season with the franchise.
With this development, the article notes that the 6,633-point scorer can officially move on from Los Angeles, as if he hadn’t already, marking a finality to a chapter that had lingered for several years.
Additional NBA coverage includes reports that the Clippers outbid the Warriors and Spurs for a notable ex-Lakers sharpshooter, as well as predictions that Spurs could outbid the Warriors for a $101 million Lakers star, four-time NBA champion. The piece also references Luka Doncic sending a clear message to the Lakers regarding a roster decision they cannot afford to ignore, highlighting ongoing issues around team composition and salary-cap considerations for SEO-focused readers.