Though he didn’t play a lot of minutes, anyone in the locker room would surely agree that veteran Jared Dudley was instrumental to the Los Angeles Lakers’ success over the past two seasons. As such, many assumed he would have a roster spot on the 2021-22 version of the team.
However, it began to be rumored that a return was unlikely. That would become a fact when it was announced that Dudley would be joining the Dallas Mavericks as an assistant coach under their new coach, former Lakers assistant Jason Kidd.
The move came as a surprise to many, including Dudley himself, as he revealed in an interview with Bill Plaschke of the L.